Harry Potter and the Broken Child
by StevenTLawson
Summary: It's dark, it's gritty, I'm not a nice person, people will suffer, people will love, people will heal. If you voted in my poll you know what you are getting if not, I hope you enjoy. Light bashing, stupid people need it to grow. HarryxHarem, it was voted for, you people are getting it. Not Super Harry, not Evil Harry. Bad people do good things doesn't make them good. Brutal Reviews
1. Chapter 1

It was a particularly windy Sunday, which made the cool Scottish summer weather have a bite that was unaccustomed to late July. The shuffle of papers and the scratching of quill on parchment, in the distance the wind rushing through the empty castle corridors gave the school an earie feeling to it, the kind you get walking alone at night in the dark.

For Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, as she is to be called when the term has ended, who spent the better part of her life in the school first as a student, then as a teacher, making her way up that ladder to become one of the most respected witch in the country but seen as a strict authority figure in the lives of most of magical Britain, if not much of Europe as her reputation as a Master of Transfiguration is well regarded in academia.

The castle was home to her, to the students that came and went and those that had yet to come, no matter the student Hogwarts would be a home. And it was time to maker her family that much larger, so as she finally sat down her quill after finishing writing the last letter to a Blaise Zabini, she took her wand and with a wave the parchment neatly folded itself and slid into envelopes. She then gathered them up and walked over to a large tome, this would hold the addresses of all her students, or in this case the would-be students.

As she laid the stack of letters on the book, ink started running along the pages and over the letters forming the addresses and information needed to send an owl with, as they use magic to find their destination, the tome provided that for them to know.

With another swish of her wand the letters began to fly past her, the one's listed for muggleborn into a neat pile on her desk, while all the letters to pureblood and half-blood families made the way to the window. However, in some other timeline, she wouldn't have noticed but as the letters for the wizarding families made their way past her, she snatched one out of the air, her reflexes of being a feline animagus made the task simple, even in her middle age of 55.

She looked it over, reading the front to see who the letter was for:

Mr. H. Potter,

The Cupboard _under_ the Stairs,

4, Privet Drive.

Little Whinging,

Surrey

Something about that letter stuck out to her, normally only purebloods named their houses, some were tongue in cheek others older than Camelot, so why would young Petunia Dursley have named her house The Cupboard _under_ the Stairs, it was a right mystery. Now the procedure dictated that as a half-blood young Mr. Potter was to have his letter owled to him, but you Mr. Potter was different, instead of being placed with any wizarding family related to him by blood, even as tangentially as some would be, he was placed with in her opinion, the worst sort of muggles, his mother's sister. This had never happened before as even an orphaned muggleborn child would have been placed with a magical family to be raised by, especially after Voldemort's War, with so many families broken, there was no shortage of older magicals who would want to raise an orphaned child, especially one as famous as The-Boy-Who-Lived. But for some reason Dumbledore had insisted that Harry be placed with the Dursley's, even after ten years of asking, he always had an excuse.

" _Well not this time"_ , As Deputy Headmistress, it was her duty to see that each of the muggleborn students had a visit from a professor to see that they are properly inducted into the magical world. And Mr. H. Potter, might as well have been muggleborn as he would have known nothing else, besides what Petunia would have told him of his mother, her sister.

She then tied a few of the letters in bundles and sent them off to some of the other Professors, so that they can visit with some of the prospective students. She was going to keep Potter's visit to herself, she delivered Lily's letter herself all those years ago, it was only right she deliver Harry's. Sure, she was playing favorites, but she'd never admit it, nor would anyone accuse her of it.

So, with swiftness that belied her age she went over to the fireplace in her office and grabbed a pinch of green powder and with a forceful declaration she stated, "The Leaky Cauldron" and in a flash of green fire she was off on the other side of the U.K. in nearly an instant.

* * *

It was a warm Sunday in the dining room, off the kitchen of a suburban family home, joyful laughter as a child, if you could call a pig with human features a child, dug into a mountain of sausage and pancakes. Across the table was seated a man who had more in kind with a bull elephant than he did with his fellow man, in size and temperament. The final occupant of the room was a tall, thin woman in obvious knockoff clothes who seemed to be doing her best to fit the doting, upper-class housewife she sees on her soaps.

The way they were lazing about meant it truly was a lazy Sunday. Until a swift rapping on the front door, the man turned down his copy of Sunday Mail, there was a pause, until three more knocks came from the front door.

"Da, there's someone at the door," the fat boy stated, as if he was the only person to hear it. The man looked over to his son and said, "Right you are Dudders." Folding his paper, " **BOY** , get the door." Listening to hear the rattling of a small lock on a door down the hall.

"Vernon dear," chided the horse faced woman, "You said he had a week in his room, for what he did on Duddikins birthday." She placed another half dozen eggs on her husband's plate.

"Quite right Petunia. I did say that," he grumbled to himself, he had forgotten about the boy as it only the fifth day on his punishment, no food, no water, no light, for a week locked in his room. Teach him to sick a giant, poisonous boa constrictor on his little diddums.

As he made a movement to stand Petunia placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll get it, probably just the milkman early today." She placed a platter that had even more food on it, down on the table, which the fat little boy grabbed more pancakes to add to his pile that was growing and shrinking at the same rate for how he replenished it as fast as he ate it.

At the next round of knocks, Petunia bustled her way down the hall, making sure to kick a door under the stairs, "Make sure you keep your whimpering down, you freak." Hearing a very faint and weak reply of, "Yes Aunt Petunia." She quickly closed the gap between herself and the door and quickly threw it open. "Good morning Mr. Acker." She began until she took in the visage of the person standing at the door. A green tartan topped with a ridiculous wizard's cap, that would have been enough to make her shout about freaks and how they need to stop trying to harass her, until she saw her face. The same fact that she saw twenty years ago, a face that looked like it hadn't aged nearly half that amount of time.

An ear shattering shriek rang out through the house, causing Vernon to drop his butter-soaked toast and Dudley to miss shoveling more bacon into his already stuffed mouth. "Dear, what's wrong" he shouted as he hustled down the hallway from the table.

Until he pulled his wife into his arms and looked at who was standing on the porch. Before she could even speak Vernon slammed the door shut and bellowed, "We will have none of your freakishness here, so you can just go back to whatever hell you dragged yourself from, or I'll get my gun."

Dumbfounded Minerva could only stair at the even painting on the front door, that was so rudely slammed in her face. She didn't expect a warm welcome, but to be this mistreated, was just not done. As she looked around her surrounds and saw that no one had yet come to their windows to see the commotion, she drew her wand in a flash and after a few seconds of flittering about, she had erected magic that would mask her presence from outsiders trying to pry into the lives of their neighbors.

Another swish and the locks on the door gave way and the door opened as she strode in, to be faced with the barrel of a Beretta A303, however it was clear that Vernon had no experience with the gun as she flicked her wrist faster than he could take the safety off and transfigured the gun into a long piece of licorice. _"Maybe I am spending too much time with Dumbledore, if candy is the first thing I turn a weapon into",_ she thought to herself.

Vernon in fright of the magic used, yelped and dropped his gun, being so handily disarmed he did what he does best when faced with magic, he gave a roar that would be fitting of a hippopotamus and charged as fast as his wobbly, bloated legs could carry him, which wasn't far as he suddenly found himself on the ground, unable to move.

Having quite enough of the games, she turned to the woman, "Now really Petunia, is this how you greet all of you guests? You weren't so rude the last time I was here to deliver a letter." Petunia could only squeak in fear as the woman she held responsible for taking her sister away from her stepped over her paralyzed husbands body and strode towards the kitchen.

Minerva upon seeing the breakfast table laid out with enough food to feed a quarter of the Hogwarts student body, looked at the rotund boy who was barely noticing her for the amount of food he was packing away. It disgusted her greatly to see such a lack of table manners, she hopefully wouldn't have any Gryffindors who displayed such terrible manners.

As she heard Petunia following her down the hallway, she turned around and pointedly asked, "Where is your nephew, young Mr. Potter?" The first red flag was how Petunia couldn't even look her in the eye, she asked again more forcefully, "Where is Harry?" Petunia closed her eyes and refused to raise her gaze from the cheap linoleum.

It was instead the boy behind her that answered, "The freak is in his room, he's being punished." Petunia's gasp at her son's answer was the second red flag.

"Dudders no, don't tell her anything." Or at least she tried to say, her lips moved, and she thought the words, but no sound came out. McGonagall was very fast with her silencing spell, years of practice with unruly students made it nothing but mere child's play to maintain control of her classroom.

McGonagall turned to 'Dudders' and in a calm and soothing voice asked him, "Where is Harry's room?" Dudley's answer chilled her to the bone.

"The cupboard under the stairs." He spat out between mouthfuls of breakfast.

* * *

" _The cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard under the stairs"_ McGonagall was in a state of shock, it couldn't be true, there is no way his room is that tiny cupboard she passed when she stepped over the fat muggle who tried to shoot her. She swiftly pushed past Petunia who was desperate to speak, to try to diffuse the oncoming eruption that would happen when the witch she feared saw what she and her family had done to the boy.

McGonagall stood in front of the stained little door, with a dead bolt, an iron bar slatted across and three comically large combination locks affixed to keep it shut. With trembling hands, she raised her wand and prayed that in recent years muggle humor had taken a decidedly darker turn and this was a prank sicker than anything the Marauders had ever pulled on anyone.

A slow and purposeful swish of her wand and a whispered, "Alohamora", the locks fell open, the iron bar fell off and the dead bolt slid out of place. A painfully slow creaking sound as the door that hadn't been opened in five days moved from its stationary position.

And inside, curled up in a tiny ball, quivering in fear, was a mess of matted black hair, and the most vibrant green eyes she had ever seen. As she raised her hand to reach in, he flinched away and whimpered. If not for how quiet the house was at the time she wouldn't have been able to hear him muttering, "Please don't hurt me, I'm sorry" over and over.

This was Harry Potter, the boy who saved the wizarding world and possibly the muggle world, the boy whose parents died protecting, the boy who made witches, wizards and many magical creatures the country over celebrating life on Samhain, a day to honor the dead, and he was the most broken child she had ever laid eyes on.

As the innocent child muttered his prayer that never worked before to prevent pain, McGonagall felt the world freeze, this wasn't right, they hurt this young boy. They hurt their own family. She stood with painful fluidity, raised herself to her full height, which wasn't physically impressive but there was a reason the Death Eaters respected her even as a half-blood. Locking eyes with Petunia, who now felt smaller than her nephew, began rapidly backing up, never taking her eyes off the cold fury of the witch before her.

Then Harry hiccupped, his tears and crying tiring him out to the point he struggled to breathe. She drew her wand faster than she ever had before. Petunia's silent screams wouldn't be heard.

"Hoo daur ye, he is yer fowk. yer bluid, yer nephew. an' ye treat heem waur than a dug, lower 'at jobby. Ah cannae believe hoo terrible ay a bodie ye ur tae dae sic' a hin' tae anither human lit aloyn ye kin. if Ah wasnae sic' a guid bodie Ah woods torture ye until ye cooldnae e'en beg fur mercy, ye utter huir, ye filth beyond filth" she began screaming at the retreating woman in her native Scottish tongue. Throwing hex and spell with reckless abandon, transfiguring and destroying objects around the house as she made her way into the kitchen.

Dudley noticing his mother backing up in fear as the lights began suddenly and the house turned into a twisted carnival of animals, sights and smells. He was almost about to cheer at the sudden show when his mother pulled him into the kitchen and grabbed a chef's knife from the sink, it having been cleaned the night before. Waving it in front of her, no sound still able to come from her lips as she watched the approaching enraged older woman. The knife was hit with a sickly yellow light and melted in her hands, she dropped the handle and shrieked silently once more. Until the spellwork stopped.

McGonagall in her rage and transfigured most of the first floor into intense disarray, she was contemplating causing harm to family just so they could experience a fraction of what they must have done to the boy lying a few feet away from her.

What stopped her, was a familiar hoot. An owl had come in and dropped a letter on the kitchen table, in the familiar brown envelope all ministry letters come in, she picked it up. The timing was too weird, addressed to Harry Potter, she opened and read.

Dear, Mr. Harry James Potter,

We at the Ministry Improper Use of Magic Office, a subsection of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, regret to inform you we detected numerous uses of the unlocking charm, silencing charm, body binding charm, transfiguration, and lastly a dark acid spell.

As such we have expelled you from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and an appointment has been made to have your wand snapped, this hearing is scheduled for Friday August 2, at 8:00am.

Sign Mafalda Hopkirk

Department Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office.

" _This couldn't be happening"_ , The Deputy Headmistress thought to herself, the Ministry is aware that the last week of July is when the Hogwarts professors go to the homes of muggleborn students to give them their letters and that all magic was excused since it would be more likely that one of the professors is the one performing it. _"What is the Ministry thinking, that someone not even having begun their first year of education was performing magic at the Apprentice level"_ I'll just have to sort this out.

"But first," she muttered, turning to face the cowering Petunia, clutching her son to her chest in fear. "I cannot and will not leave Harry Potter with you or your family any longer, it was a mistake to think you had love in your heart for your sister or those like her." She turned and started walking back to the cupboard, reverting the damage she had done in her anger.

Stopping in front of the opened door, she crouched down and looked in on the boy who was simply staring at a corner, muttering to himself, at a volume so low even she couldn't hear. "Come on Harry, it's time to leave." She tried to coax him out of his hiding place, which was just a few inches further into the cupboard. He pressed himself against the wall, seemingly trying to force his way through it.

"Harry, please, I won't hurt you," she began once she realized he was terrified of her. "I am a friend of your mothers…" she began again, whatever she meant to say after that was stopped as the boy shuffled towards her into the light. She gasped, she shouldn't have but to see the emaciated boy, the scars and bruises littering his body through the thin fabric he wore, it almost made her go into another rage, but she controlled herself, it was time to help Harry.

"My, my mom," he sniffled, "My mom had friends." The hope and fear in his voice broke her heart, _"What did these muggles tell this precious child"_

"Yes, I was your mother and your father's teacher," she nodded, still leaving her hand reached out, he could take it at his pace. She was patient, she could wait. "I taught them all about magic", this was apparently the wrong thing to say as Harry squeaked and slinked back into his corner.

"A freak," he muttered, "Like me" McGonagall frowned, not at him but that he considered himself a freak, for only being able to do what was natural. "No, no, no" he began pounding at his head, "You can't, it's bad and dangerous, please get away." He started scratching his arms hard, drawing blood.

It probably wasn't the wisest of actions at the time, but she quickly drew her wand and stunned the small child. He fell limp into the light blue blanket that served as his floor and bed.

As she reached in to scoop him up, she felt a chill run down her body as a feeling of dread she had not felt since seeing Voldemort went deep into her core. Something was wrong with this child. A lesser witch might have left him there, might have called the Aurors to take the boy, but no, she wasn't a lesser witch and she was going to make up for the part of the mistake she made almost ten years ago.

She steeled her nerves and reached in and lifted the boy into her arms cradling him. He was so small, so starved, he looked years younger than he should have been. One last look at the home she had been in no longer than five minutes, she looked Petunia in the eye and the words would be the last time she ever spoke to the woman.

"I'm so disappointed with you."

Unsilencing the woman and apparating away.

* * *

McGonagall's Scottish home wasn't overly large, not a mansion by any standards, a simple two-story home, where she was going to make a family before the war took much of her future from her. It laid empty most months out of the year.

Only maintained by a house elf who spent most of their time at the school, it was with a thunderous crack as she appeared in her own living room. Her house elf popping in to see to her mistresses needs.

"Mistress McGonagall ma'am, hows can I be helping you." The elf bowed low.

The sudden rush of apparating even effecting the now sleeping child in her arms, stirred, but did not awaken. "Flipsy, this is Harry Potter," she stated showing the bundled-up child she carried. The house elf gasped, it had heard stories of the Great Harry Potter, even the house elves knew what fate awaited them should the Dark Lord have taken over.

She placed him on the sofa, which made him look even smaller as he curled up, "Please make some soup for him, so that you can feed him while he sleeps, then he will need a bath before he is put to bed, if he wakes up at any point come get me, it does not matter what I am doing, I want to be there when he wakes up."

The house elf nodded, ready to follow the commands of her master, "Yes, Mistress McGonagall ma'am. I is be doing that."

As the elf popped away to prepare the soup for the sleeping child, Minerva felt that same cold presence from earlier, looking around the room, she saw nothing, but she was cautious, something was here that shouldn't be. She had a thought, she crept down onto all fours and looked under the sofa, not sure what to expect, but nothing. There was no one but herself and Harry in the room, until she turned around.

There towering over her, were a pair of blood red eyes, surrounded by a face of smoke and for the first time in her life McGonagall wept in fear.

"Oh, dear Merlin no."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Here it is, the poll has closed and I have now started the ground work for the Harry Potter story. This seems a bit dark, but trust me, it's always darkest before dawn. There will be bashing in this story, it will not get to Ron the Death Eater levels, but I will not tolerate shitty child supervision.

This does not mean I have abandoned A Magician's Secret or that the Boy Who Linc is on hiatus, I will continue to work on them all.

I hope the characters attitudes were in character, just a few shades darker to fit in with the universe I am building. This will not be a story that resolves all major plot points in a year, read enough of those where everything starts to fall into place and Voldemort is taken out in a few months. Ain't happening.

Since this is the first chapter I'm hoping to see a lot of reviews and feedback, if you read my other works BRUTAL REVIEWS. If you voted in the poll congrats, I hope you enjoy the monster you have created. Until next time, Deuces.

 **Updated: Vukk brought up a very important plot hole that completely slipped my mind and why I shouldn't write at two in the morning. I hope it doesn't irk people the quick shift, but VUkk was correct. Harry is a half-blood, not a pure blood, sorry for any potential confusion that caused, I did not intend to make a weird plot point about Lily's heritage. It's not going to be that kind of story. My B**


	2. Chapter 2 - Shadows, Elves and Nurses

"Oh, dear Merlin no", she whispered. Looming over her at an impressively intimidating eight feet tall, floating just inches off of the floor, a being of pure shadow, that flowed like shifting sand. A pair of blood red eyes observing her, judging her, determining her worth.

Instinctively she put herself between Harry and the nightmarish monster. With shaky hands, she gripped her wand and spoke, "Y-y-you will not," began her confidence a facade, "harm this child". The tip of her wand glowing a harsh white. In her mind she knew no spell that could stop this beast from killing her and beginning a rampage the would likely end in the deaths of thousands.

The figure floated and she waited, until it moved, it slowly floated towards her. Her hands shaky as they were, remained aimed on the monster, but her mouth produced no sound, a deep, paralyzing fear gripped her. She clenched her eyes, awaiting excruciating pain, but the forms split and moved around her. She turned to watch as it crossed over to the sleeping form on her couch.

She gasped as she saw that it picked up the small child and cradled it to it's chest, the boy pressing himself deeper into the shadows, until the creature seemed to be absorbed by the human body and Harry was gently lowered onto the sofa, completely undisturbed.

She stood in that spot, watching Harry's chest rise and fall in his content sleep. Until a soft pop from behind her startled the elderly woman into nearly jumping out of her skin.

"Mistress McGonagall, the soup is read for young Master Potter." the diminutive house elf carrying the tray, stated, looking over a lightly steaming bowl.

"I, I, yes. Thank you Flipsy." she stammered to regain her composure. "I will be in my study, remember my instructions." The elf bowed in response, with a small chirp, "Yes Mistress."

As McGonagall began walking out of the room, she paused by the door frame and turned to her elf, "Flipsy, nothing you see here regarding young Mister Potter is to be spoken of to anyone without my permission. Do you understand, this is very important." She stated.

"Yes Mistress McGonagall. I not be's speaking of young Master Potter to anyone." She bowed once more.

While Flipsy was her personal House Elf, since she spent so much time at Hogwarts she allowed Flipsy to work with the Hogwarts elves, so it was possible that if someone was looking for information that the elves might know, and the fewer people that knew about Harry right now, the more time that she had to prepare for whatever the world piled on to that boy on the couch who had already been through so much.

For how exhausting of a day it was for Harry it was no surprise that he slept through until the next morning. Flipsy making sure that he consumed some soup even while sleeping so the boy didn't starve.

* * *

It startled him waking up in an unusual place, he just assumed he was still asleep because he had never felt thing comfortable before. Until a soft pop and a creature that wasn't much smaller than him, with large, round eyes and big floppy eyes peered at him from the over the arm of the couch he was sitting on. He yelled in surprise at the being until it popped away, alarming him more.

"Ok, I'm dreaming, everything is going to be fine," he rubbed his arms, trying his best to calm himself. "I'll wake up and be in my room, I just have to weather these hallucinations for a few more days and then my punishment will be over and I can finally see the sun and have some bread and water." he began rocking back and forth muttering to himself. "It's not the first time I hallucinated, I'll survive this too." He attempted to assure himself.

Until he heard from behind him someone clearing their throat. A woman who looked to be in her mid-forties, if some of the women he saw at his aunt's book club, where they mostly drank cheap wine and complained about their husbands or the cute teen grocer down at the local market.

As McGonagall walked around the sofa, steadily and making sure she and her hands were always in Harry's field of view, she sat down in an armchair across from him. _"It's important that I let him control the flow of the conversation. If I push him at all he could withdraw into himself, so I will wait and let him make the first move."_ She thought to herself.

Harry stared, he had never been in a situation like this before. The older woman was just sitting and staring at him. He heard a soft pop to his left as the creature from earlier was back in the same position of looking at him from side of the couch he was on. _"I'm on the furniture,"_ he reasoned out, quickly shuffling himself off the couch.

McGonagall watched Harry suddenly move to get up from where he was sitting. Confused as to what caused him to decide he needed to change his seating she asked the first question, clearing her throat again, "Harry," she calmly stated getting the young boys attention, he froze and looked at her. It was an expression she saw on some of her students who got caught doing something they really shouldn't, not something befitting the current situation. "Is there something wrong with the couch?" it seemed an innocent question, until he muttered an answer that she couldn't hear. She promptly stood up and in 3 quick steps was standing next to the boy who then pressed himself into the arm of the sofa, covering his head with his arms.

Getting on her knees in front of the boy, in a soothing voice asked another question, "I'm sorry Harry, I didn't hear your answer, could you please say it again?" looking at him from his eye that was peaking out between his arms. Even when shielding his head and other vital parts he never took his eyes off of the woman in front of him.

"I," he hiccuped, "I'm not allowed on the furniture." McGonagall scoffed.

"Of course you are allowed on to be on the furniture," her thick Scottish accent returning when his answer brought a bit of mirth into her voice. "It's what I bought it for after all."

"But freaks have to sit on the floor, like the other mongrels." he said, "My relatives would..." Only to be cut off by the older woman.

"Those _relatives_ of yours" said with an icy tone remembering the Dursleys. "Do not decide the rules in my house and will no longer decide the rules for you. So if you want to sit on the couch, you are more than welcome to."

"Oh," such a simple response. Harry was more confused than anything else, the Dursleys not deciding how he spent his time. So Harry sidled his way back over to the sofa and lifted himself backwards onto the cushion. He watched the strange woman move back her chair opposite him and sit down once more.

And again she waited until he was ready. After a few tense minutes of silence between the occupants of the room, Harry's stomach growled which sounded like a large jungle cat with how it seemed to echo around the still room. Harry made no acknowledgment of the noise, the Dursleys never cared if he was hungry and he went without food for long periods of time the pains were easy to ignore.

McGonagall was trying so hard to maintain the normal stoic visage she kept up for nine months of the year, with the other students at Hogwarts it worked, they were always cautious around her, never up to any nonsense, even if she secretly enjoyed their fun. It reminded her of better times.

But to see Harry, who very much looked like James, try to play off innocence at something as clear as an empty tummy, it broke right through her demeanor and she started chuckling. It was a confused Harry who asked if she was alright, thinking he had done something wrong.

"Oh no Mr. Potter, you did nothing wrong," she answered whilst wiping a stray tear from her eye. "If you are hungry say so, we can have breakfast together." At the sudden realization he hopped off of the couch once more and began apologizing.

"I'm sorry, your right," he moved toward the door, "I need to make breakfast." stopping at the door frame, "I don't know where the kitchen is." looked at the woman who hadn't even risen from the chair.

"Oh we will have none of that," she waved him off. "You are my guest, you shouldn't be making breakfast, not the least is what I have Flipsy for." Harry heard the same soft pop again, his eyes darting towards a corner of the room where he noticed the small creature behind the seated woman. McGonagall followed his line of sight to see that Flipsy was behind her. _"Wow, nothing gets past him, he tracks movement with practiced ease. Let's hope it translates to his own motions."_ The educator in her pondered, knowing that with being able to track small motion and quick changes is one of the hard parts of dueling, she could teach him the spells and Flitwick, a world class duelist, could teach him the rules and techniques, but sizing your opponent and their motions, that was all up to the skill and practice of the duelist. _"And it seems young Mr. Potter has had plenty of practice"_ a small grimace graced her features, realization on why his skills had to already be raised to the same level of trained duelists.

Looking back at the young boy and smiling, "Now what would you like for breakfast?" she asked him. Harry just shuffled his feet, he never had been asked what he wanted, just told what he was to make, sometimes he would get the cold left over scraps of whatever Vernon or Dudley weren't able to shove down, but he was otherwise left to water and toast. "Umm," he started nervously, still unsure if this was all a ruse and if his relatives were waiting just to pull the rug out from under him and lock him back in his room.

McGonagall patiently waited, _"Either this boy has so many favorite foods or more likely has never been given a choice in what he eats."_ Flipsy, with her large ears could clearly hear the boy even from across the room, eagerly listened to hear what food she could make for The Harry Potter, _"Oh if the other castle elves knew who she was cooking for, they would be so jealous, I know Boopsy_ _talks about how great it was to serve food to the Headmaster personally for a week, but hah, beat this you straight eared little so and so."_

"Pa-pancakes," Harry said sheepishly, he always cooked them on the weekends and he even had some cold ones after the Dursleys had finished eating and he thought they tasted pretty good. The Dursleys made him cook for them for so long he got good at it, or else.

With a soft pop, Flipsy was off into the kitchen to prepare the best pancakes she had ever made in her life. Harry turned his full attention back to the older woman, never having taken her completely out of his sight even when focusing on the strange creature that seemed to teleport around the room.

Now the silence returned as he stared at the woman, "Umm," he collected his thoughts, Vernon and Petunia didn't like talking to him, so they instilled in him to know what he was going to say so he can leave them be as quickly as possible. "I um, I'm sorry, I don't know your name." He said simply. It would be hard to interact with this strange woman if he didn't know what to call her.

That information struck her, she never did introduce herself, in the chaos from the previous day she never actually told him who she was. "I am Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, I am the Head of Gryffindor and I teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I like your mother am a witch, you are wizard just as your father was."

This was completely new information to him as the only thing the Dursleys ever told Harry about his parents was the his father was a drunk and his mother a whore who died in a car crash abandoning him to his relatives. This was the first time he could meet someone who would tell him more about his parents.

"What, um," he struggled through his emotions, a roiling torrent of confusion, curiosity, and anger swept through him. "What were they like?"

Wistful longing danced across the woman's face, these fond memories making her feel older than she was, to remember the better times and her favorite students. "Oh Harry, they were wonderful. Your father was so headstrong, he was playful and so very popular, he just had this air about him, that made one want to have fun and dance in the sun." seeing Harry inching closer to her to hear her story, _"It's just like having a grandchild of my own, to tell stories to."_ she smiled down at the child, she spent many Halloween commemorating the Potters and their sacrifice with her colleagues and old friends, but now was the chance for her to pass it down to their son, who lost more than most and seemed to have still been giving all of these years. _"Well it's time to start giving back"_ she decided.

Noticing she had gone quiet for a bit, he moved ever closer, until he was at the arm of the chair McGonagall was sitting in. "And my mother?" he asked hopefully.

McGonagall lounged in her chair, recalling the bright and youthful witch she taught, "Your mother, Lily, was the smartest, kindest and most beautiful woman I ever had the good fortune to meet." remembering the red-headed girl and her fascination with everything the world had to offer, "She was friends with everyone, the favorite of every teacher, studious but always making time for friends, she was warm and had such a big heart."

As she trailed off her rambling about the late Mrs. Potter, Harry lowered his gaze, "Do you." he started, McGonagall looked at the young boy, no, man, no one who had to go through what he did would ever be considered a boy. "Do you think they would have loved me?" he quietly asked.

McGonagall's heart was breaking, _"No child should ever have to wonder if their parents loved them"_ she reached down and wrapped the small boy into her arms. "With all their heart." she moved his messy hair out of the way of his eyes, twin emerald orbs staring up at her with longing. "They loved you more than life itself. That's why they gave their lives to protect you. So never doubt that you, Harry James Potter, are loved."

To dream of loving parents was a recurrence for the child, many nights hoping for someone to finally come and take him away from the pain and suffering, other nights wishing he had died with them. But to hear that his parents loved him, it was more than he could take. He wept, not in pain, not in sadness, but joy. To love is a powerful feeling, to be loved in return is so much more. A feeling the boy never had before welled up inside him, a warmth and comfort that can only come from the love of a parent. Even if they were gone, he could still feel it in him, through death and time.

He was Harry Potter, and he was loved.

* * *

As he wept into McGonagall's chest, Flipsy silently returned to the room, breakfast was ready for the two of them, but she didn't want to disturb the two humans.

It was a half an hour later when Harry finally settled down, his stomach took that chance to remind him that it wanted to be sated. McGonagall giggled, something the 55 year old woman hadn't done in decades. "Let's go have some breakfast and then get you cleaned up. How about that?" gazing down at the child curled in her lap. His response was nodding, Harry wasn't sure if he could even speak let alone make a sound.

With the two of them in the dining room, Harry sat down to what he considered a large plate of food, it wasn't the same mountain that Dudley would have but it was more than he had ever been given at one time. Looking to McGonagall for her approval she motioned for him to begin eating. Despite how hungry he was, he maintained what manner were _instilled_ into him by his relatives, so he ate with a certain grace that came from making sure no food was missed. He didn't notice or didn't care that tears were falling from his face onto his food, he had never eaten anything so nice before in his life. McGonagall watched with a happy heart that she was able to bring such joy to someone who needed it for something so simple as talking about people she loved and a good meal.

" _This is what I have been missing, a child to call my own, Elphinstone never bore me a child and I had given up on Dougal after his murder. Maybe this is the chance I never had."_ She thought to herself as she watched the young boy clean his plate. She finished her meal a little bit after Harry had, since she spent much of it just watching the boy.

She looked at the wonder on the boys face as the plates disappeared right in front of him. "That was Flipsy, she is taking care of cleaning up after breakfast." noticing the confusion on his face as he looked around the room trying to find the small creature he noticed earlier.

"House elves are rarely seen when working, so she stayed hidden for most of the meal." she told Harry to settle him down.

"But I wanted to thank her for the wonderful food," he complained. McGonagall chuckled at the young lad.

"Oh you are so much like your mother, always thanking the house elves for doing the chores," she started, Harry blushing at the compliment. "House elves are very good at their job and I assure you she heard what you said." she watched the boy look around the room more hoping to catch a glance of the house elf since she had to be near by to hear him.

She knew the elf had heard the compliments and that the elf would be in high spirits, it was one thing to be praised by their master, but house elves were distant relatives of fairies and those magical creatures loved the innocence of children so to a house elf, the words of children meant that much more to them.

"Now Harry it's time to get washed up, then I'll call a friend to take a look at you. But only if you want me to." she asked

Harry was confused, he was emotional, but he was given a choice, if he said no, nothing would happen, but he wondered, what if he said yes. _"Ms. McGonagall has been really nice to me, so maybe her friends are also nice. Should I trust her a little longer?"_

"I think I would like that," he accepted her offer. McGonagall rose from her chair and walked out of the room, hearing the soft patter of small footsteps meant that Harry had started to follower her.

* * *

Turning down the hallway into the bathroom, stood a large claw-footed tub, one McGonagall spent some nights relaxing in, warm water soothing aching muscles and a glass of wine to soothe her headache of dealing with the generations of children she taught. She loved them all but after twenty five years sometimes you just needed a break.

She reached toward the faucet and pulled both handles down, the tub filling with above warm water, a light steam rolling off of the surface. She grabbed a few objects from the counter top and transfigured them into bath toys, something for Harry to play with as she washed his hair. The child was eleven years old and capable of cleaning himself but she was feeling motherly and wanted to indulge by washing the boy herself.

Noticing that Harry was just staring at her, she motioned with her hand, "The water is fine mister Potter, in you go." he grabbed the hem of what could barely be called a shirt and fidgeted with the frayed fabric.

"Umm, are you going to stay?" he asked nervously, not entirely sure about getting naked in front of someone he had just met.

"Yes Harry, I am going to make sure you get clean." she answered, "It looks like you had not had a proper bath in years." Noticing the boy now staring at the ground. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

"The Dursleys, would just spray me off with a hose usually, when they complained about my smell."

"Then I think it important I stay, to make sure you know how to clean yourself the right way and not like I suspect many boys older than you, off lathering cologne or cleaning charms on themselves. We can all tell who does that." She joked at the blushing boy. _"He has the strangest gaps in his learning, so I have to be careful not to assume he knows things children half his age do. Oh those dreadful muggles."_ She smiled cheerfully as she saw the boy begin to take off his clothing.

She was just about to turn her head to give the child some privacy, until the she saw them in plain view. She had seen the more recent bruises and scars and the ones not covered by the holes in the overly large clothes. But now to see all of him, in proper lighting, she gasped again.

All over his chest, thighs and back were deep purple bruises some which had began to fade into shades of orange. Long and drawn out cuts littered his arms and back, some looking like lashes from a belt, others she shuddered to think about what this child had to endure. His legs and arms were mismatched sizes, indicating numerous breaks over the years and now that she could see him out of the oversized clothes his posture was atrocious, quite possibly from a deformed spine and malnutrition.

The worst she saw was on his left forarm, the word, _Freak,_ was deeply scarred in, possibly over years of application. His wrists had numerous small scars that indicated. She threw up in her mouth at the sight of clearly self inflicted wounds. _"This child had tried to kill himself, at least once before"_ she didn't understand what possessed those monsters he lived with to do such a thing to a child, with tear filled eyes she pulled herself closer to Harry's small form, him ashamed of showing his body to another person.

Drawing in the shaking child to her, she hugged him deeply, "Oh Harry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." she crooned and rubbed his head. "No one should ever had to suffer like you did." Harry muttered a response, one that held no vigor or life in it.

"It's okay, I'm used to it."

" _This is most certainly not okay, even Azkaban treats it's prisoners better than that."_ She cleared her throat and dried her eyes, "No Harry, it's not okay. You should never have been left with those relatives of yours, I told Dumbledore not to put you with them, and I am sorry I didn't fight harder for you."

Harry's eyes widened, " _She knew I was at the Dursleys."_ This information was critical to his next few decisions, _"If she put me there once, she could put me back, I don't want to go back."_ Harry struggled in her grasp and pushed his way out of her embrace.

The pain she felt at seeing the result of one bad decision was nothing to compare it to seeing the look of absolute betrayal on the child who just an hour ago was crying because he learned his parents loved him.

Before she could utter a word, Harry was backing away from her, "You left me with them," he uttered, with such hatred. The lights in the room began flickering, "You knew where I was, you could have saved me. You, you, you, anytime could have found me." objects on the edge of the counter fell to the floor as the entire house began to rattle. "If you didn't I could have, something might be." Harry struggled to get the hundreds of conflicting thoughts in his mind to coalesce into actual words. He began gasping for air.

McGonagall watch as Harry's magic swelled in him as he emotions overrode the normal restraint people had to using magic, something that children learn growing up to have a better grasp on. It's why accidental magic was not classified as wandless magic, it had no control and couldn't be projected into conscious thought, children could use their magic to get things they wanted but never truly understand the process to do so.

She wasn't afraid, not this time. If by some circumstance his magic lashed out at her, she would accept it, she played a part in the suffering Harry endured and by her honor she would take the consequences of her actions in stride. What happened as the boy began stammering words, obviously trying to speak multiple thoughts at once.

Arms of shadowy sand formed behind Harry and pulled him into it's deep embrace. She watched in awe at the sight, it was still scary to see a manifested Obscurus, but to see one that was capable of independent thought, she never imagined, all rumors of Obscuri was that they were mindless destructive forces that drained the host and disappeared on the death of the child.

This one seemed like a protector, reacting to Harry's emotions or needs. As Harry buried his face into the figure, McGonagall made a choice, she acted. "Harry," she called his name, but only getting the Obscurus' attention, "Harry, please listen to me." she quietly said, "I swear, if I knew what was happening to you, myself and most everyone I know would have been breaking down the door to come to your rescue. But I let someone else make that decision for me, I shouldn't have. It was a mistake, one that I deeply and truly regret seeing the results of it." she waited to see if he would respond. The only indication he may have heard her, was that he peeked his head out from between the arms of his manifestation.

"I can't go back and fix that mistake, but I hope in time," she chose the words carefully, "that some day I can make up for it all, I promise you won't go back to those people ever again, I won't allow it."

Harry stared at her for a long minute, "Do you mean it?" he asked. "I never have to go back?" The hope in his voice, belied the fear, that this was all just a trick.

"I swear, nothing can make me take you back there if you don't want to go, and I will always come get you if you find yourself with them again." She promised him, _"I have a feeling this promise will be tested very soon"_

Harry stepped out of the grasp of the Obscurus slowly, he moved with caution towards her, reaching out his hand. "Pinky promise?" he raised his smallest digit. She took his in her own.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." She had learned that from a small muggleborn girl about ten years prior. Harry smiled at her, to him it was the most sacred bond a person could make. McGonagall knew that she was treading on thin ice with the young man in front of her, that his trust was hard won and easily lost, but something else also told her that his loyalty was unshakable.

"Now about that bath?" she asked, the original reason for coming in the room almost forgotten in the moment. Harry nodded and climbed his naked form into the water, Minerva stared at the Obscurus who simply floated and watched her, _"Obviously it doesn't seem to fully trust me with Harry's safety, yet for some reason I feel better knowing he had something with him."_

As she washed what seemed to be caked on dirt and blood from his body, explaining how to make sure to clean behind his ears and his private area, she heard a soft pop, followed by a yelp, then another soft pop a second later. _"Flipsy must have seen the Obscurus as well."_ Knowing it was still floating behind her, she could feel it's presence, which didn't make her feel as cold as it once did.

She saw in a reflection as the form swirled toward her, moving around her like the dark river and back into Harry, he smiled, feeling the familiar comfort that must have come with years of it being his only companion.

She heard the soft pop of Flipsy reentering the room, a sigh of relief and then her popping out again. After around a half of hour of making sure Harry was clean, Harry pulled himself out of the tub and handed him a towel to dry off. He reached for it and was distracted by how pruny his hands had gotten. Minerva chuckled, "Yeah that happens if you stay in the water too long."

"Woah," turning his hand over to inspect it, the lack of sunlight in the last few days faded his tan, his lack of food and emaciation left him looking the part of a very small vampire. After his fascination with the wrinkles on his skin he looked over to try to find his clothes on the floor, instead a neat stack of new clothes, were waiting for him.

"These aren't mine," he lifted them up to show McGonagall that it wasn't the same as the hand me downs from Dudley.

Curiously McGonagall called for Flipsy, when the elf popped in she asked where the clothes came from as she didn't keep clothes for boys in her house. "Oh those be from the Comes and Goes Room at Hogwarts." she stated matter-of-factly.

"What is the 'Comes and Goes Room'?" she inquired.

"It bes a room that comes and goes, the house elves have used it to store lost, broken and abandoned items over the centuries that the castle has been built. Anything that the house elves can't return or fix goes in there at the end of the year." She shuffled her feat, she didn't want her mistress to think she was a sneaky thief.

"Oh, well if it's been abandoned, I guess that's fine for now." She answered, knowing that Harry did need clothes more than a storage room at the castle did. _"I'll have to have the castle elves show me this Comes and Goes Room at some point. Might be able to help with that budget shortfall."_

Turning back to Harry who before looked like he was swimming in his old clothes, looked to be eight or nine years old instead of eleven like he should now that the clothes were better fitting on him. _"Now to do something about that."_

* * *

Taking Harry by the hand and walking back to the living room they were in before, McGonagall waved for Harry to sit on the sofa, Flipsy popped in with a tea tray. "Now Harry I'm going to call that friend of mine to come and examine you, do you still want that?" deciding to let him make the final decision.

"Umm, okay," he answered. Confused because he didn't see a telephone anywhere in the room. He watched as she walked over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of powder out of a cup attached to the mantle. Tossing it in she declared, "Hogwarts Infirmary." And then stuck her head in the flames.

Harry yelped and rushed over to try and pull the crazy woman out of the fire, only to see she wasn't burning but could hear her talking. Not enough to understand what she was saying but to know that it was a casual conversation. Unsure of what to do he stayed beside the Deputy Headmistress and held onto her robes and waited for her to pull her head out of the fire.

A few minutes later, McGonagall stood up and smiled down at the boy clinging to her clothes. "Oh I'm sorry Harry, I forgot you don't know what Floo powder is," Harry looking at her with a confused expression was all the answer she needed, she then explained to him that Flooing was a way to transport or talk to people through fireplaces and that it was perfectly safe.

He did his best to understand the strange ways of the wizarding world but was only left with one question, "Why fireplaces?" he asked.

McGonagall was stumped, she always just did it, never wonder why it. "I'm not rightly sure Harry, it's just one of those things everyone just accepts."

As that was the best answer he was going to get he just shrugged and seated himself back on the sofa. After a few minutes the fireplace burst into green flames and a woman stepped out.

She was dressed like a WW2 nurse, so he guessed she must be some kind of doctor. "Hello Minerva, now what seems to be the problem that you have to call me personally, swear me to secrecy before I can even come through and to bring nearly everything in the infirmary that isn't bolted to the floor?" She huffed, it was one thing to go see one of the professors in their private rooms, or even homes, usually when they were doing something that going to Saint Mungo's would raise some questions they would rather not get answered, _"Merlin knows how many times I was called to Snape's or Dumbledore's office because they were messing with some untested dark magic and nearly maimed themselves because of it."_

She calmly stared at her colleague until she noticed the small child sitting on the sofa, staring at her. With an unseemly squeal she bustled her way over to the child, "Oh Minnie, I didn't know you had grandkids, oh he is just adorable." she preened his hair, until she shifted the locks from his forehead and saw the infamous scar. "Oh, Minerva, is this who I think it is?" she turned to the older woman.

Looking down at the floor, she sighed before returning her gaze to the schools nurse. "Sadly, yes, this is Harry Potter and he needs our help." she pointed at the boy still wrapped in her arms.

Standing up Madame Pomfrey tried to regain some semblance of professionalism, "Well then we should bring in Dumbledore, he should." only to be rudely cut off by the other witch.

"No, absolutely not, Dumbledore and myself had parts to play in this situation and he will not be told until necessary." Pomfrey taken aback by the witches reluctance to involve the Headmaster, sighing once again she knew she had to explain herself, "Just examine him in every way you can, once your done, I'll try to answer your questions as best I can. But until then it is between the three of us. Do you understand?"

Madame Pomfrey was incensed, normally anytime she had to do an examination on a student their head of house was informed, but during the summer it would be their magical guardian or parent she would disclose information too, as she didn't know who Mr. Potters were, she would need to speak with Dumbledore to find that information out. But something about the situation was raising red flags with her, it was something about Harry that seemed off. _"I'll do my examinations, then when everything comes back far less than whatever McGonagall thinks it is, then we'll go see the Headmaster."_

So she pulled out various instruments and set them around Harry, raising her wand and tapping a quill to float over partchment, she diligently set herself to work. Her expression hardened rapidly, underneath her stoic professionalism her anger roiled. _"What the buggering hell is this, nothing I'm seeing is right, this has to be a sick joke. How would he even be alive with that many, oh god,"._

After ten minutes of scanning and checking her tools to make sure they weren't completely destroyed or tampered with, she exhaled loudly, turning to the older witch. "Who?" was all she asked, with a murderous air behind the words.

"The people Dumbledore and myself left him with almost a decade ago." She sheepishly answered, she wasn't proud that the decision she made that long ago was so wrong, but she would not deny it, not pretend it didn't happen.

"And you didn't think to do anything about it until now." The nurse accused her, sticking her wand out.

"I didn't know until yesterday, when I went to do my visits to the muggleborn students. Now get that wand out of my face and tell me what we can do to help him," the teacher demanded.

With a huff, the school nurse flicked her wand and the scroll that had filled up with various injuries and problems the boy had suffered through. "I'll start with the easiest to fix, nearly every bone in his body has been broken, more than once it seems for many of them. So over the next few weeks I am going to have to come by, vanish some of them and begin the process of regrowing all of them, so they can develop with out any of the fractures and disfigured healing." McGonagall sighed, the fact that the easiest thing to fix would be to essentially rebuild his entire skeletal structure was not a good sign.

"Then the malnutrition, it's terrible, nutrient potions are not going to cut it on this one. I can try to brew up potions specially designed for him, but some of the ingredients, I'll need a potions master to do it right or I wouldn't feel comfortable dosing him with them." She continued.

"Surely it can't be that bad?" McGonagall inquired.

If it wasn't so morbid it would be funny, "It's far worse, normal nutrient potions are made with mostly steeped bark and other plants, I could brew those with my eyes closed with what Sprout keeps in her sheds, the one's Mr. Potter needs are going to have to have a Re'em blood for the base, to strengthen his muscles, while and I can't believe I'm saying this, unicorn blood to try and reverse some of the damage to his body." Pomfrey was shaking her head.

"Both of those are Class B non-tradeable substances by the Ministry." Minerva gasped.

"Yes that's the problem, that unless we give a damn good reason the ministry isn't going to go sending out a supply of the ingredients needed, even Saint Mungo's has a waiting period and an inspection before they are able to get their hands on it from the Ministry." Pomfrey explained.

"And if we told them what and who it was for, they would probably allow the sale," she continued, "But the resulting investigation will turn over everything they find to understand what happened." She began glaring, "So what happened then?"

"I didn't ask Harry the specifics of what he endured, but what I saw was enough that I almost killed the muggles that did it." Minerva answered, ashamed that she lost control that previous morning. "But we need you," started, then shook her head, " _He_ needs you to do this." she emphasized.

Sighing to herself, _"I swore an oath to help those who needed it, and I've met few people who needed it more than that young man over there. Oh the favors I'm going to owe Severus to give up his time and totally legally obtained potion ingredients."_ The witch grumbled, "Fine, I'll see that it gets done, you owe me so much for this."

McGonagall just hugged her friend, "Thank you, I really mean that."

"However when I looked at his eyes," she started staring at the boy who got disinterested when the two started speaking words he didn't understand, boredom was common for him so he just patiently waited to see the result of their conversation.

"Something is in there, moving just behind his eyes." she shivered, "It scares me, what the hell is that?"

Minerva raised her hand, "I swear I will tell you, later, once we get him started on his treatment, we can inform the other staff members, no names of course, but we as the faculty have to be aware of the danger present and what needs to be done for his treatment."

Madame Pomfrey didn't like that answer, but she knew right now it was the best she was going to get at the moment. So she accepted, her duty outweighing her curiosity, for now.

The nurse left through the floo, to begin preparing for the long and frankly quite painful treatment the boy would need to go over to have him ready by the time he began Hogwarts.

* * *

Seeing that Harry was confused McGonagall sat down in the chair across from him once more. "Now I'm sure you have many questions, I will try to do my best to answer them for you. How about we talk about it over lunch?"

Harry's stomach grumbled again, not used to getting to eat so much food it was trying to compensate for as much as it could. Harry blushed, not used to eating more than once a day.

So when the two of them sat down at the table it was soon covered in a spread of sandwiches and juice. Harry cleanly ate his fill and then asked, what the purpose of the nurse seeing him was.

"Well Harry, what is going to happen is that we, mostly her, are going to start you on a long process to try and undo the damage that your body has suffered over the years." She waited to see comprehension on his face. Once she had it she continued. "Good, now the first thing is that periodically, which means over time, Madame Pomfrey will come by to vanish some of your bones then provide you with a potion that will regrow them, without all of the breaks and improper healing they had, this should correct much of your posture and the lopsidedness of your body. Are you following?"

Harry somewhat understood the words, though the thought of having his bones disappear and then regrow sounds awful, he would like to have new bones. "Sorta, will it hurt?" he asked, not that pain was unusual to the boy, he just wondered what it would be like.

McGonagall shook her head, "Well I've never had a bone regrown, but I have heard it is unpleasant, not painful though, just that most people don't want to do whatever it is they did to have to have the bone regrown again."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Then we will have our potions master, that is someone who has the highest level of expertise with brewing potions, make some very special potions to help heal your body to the level it should be at and help your body grow further, this will take the longest time and I don't think you will be done by the time you go to Hogwarts."

"I'm going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked. He knew she taught there, but for him to go was entirely different.

"Of course it was in the letter," she paused, "That I didn't actually deliver yet." sighing again, _"Oh how things were easier years ago."_ She pulled out her wand, "Accio Harry's Hogwarts Acceptance Letter". Which point a shuffling of paper sounded in the next room as an envelop flew into the room and McGonagall's outstretched hand. Handing it to the boy across from her.

"Dear Mr. Potter" he began reading. Instead of excitement that she expected to see on his face, just disappointment and shame. When he finished he set the letters down and sniffled.

"What's wrong Harry, aren't you happy to be going to the same school your parents did?" she asked.

"I can't," he quietly said, tears stinging his eyes.

"Why can't you go?" She knew he was having problems, but she wasn't aware of any that would prevent him from attending the school term.

"I don't have any of this stuff." He held out the required items list. "I don't have a cauldron, I don't have an owl and I don't have a wand. I can't go." then the tears flowed. He was so excited to go somewhere he might be wanted, somewhere his parents went. But finding out it had requirements and supplies, that he didn't have, it was crushing.

"Then we will go get that stuff for you, tomorrow we will go to Diagon Alley and purchase your school supplies." She gave a solution, hoping it would cheer him up. This only caused him to cry more.

"I don't have any money." He now felt the effect of pauperism, before at the Dursleys he had no need for money as his needs were just want he could do to avoid a beating and not starve. Now he was in a different world and he couldn't rely on the old routine anymore.

"I'm most assured that you have money," she scoffed. "The Potters were an Ancient family." she started, _"Now that I think about it, Harry stopping You-Know-Who, should have made the Potters a Noble house as well, since he personally wiped out three Noble and Most Ancient houses."_

"So tomorrow our first stop will be to go to Gringotts, the wizarding bank, to get money for your supplies. I'm certain a witch as smart as your mother set up a trust fund for your education."

" _Not only that, as the sole survivor of the House of Potter, should mean he has access to the entire Potter accounts."_

"Really, I would have money," his enthusiasm growing, "I can really go to the school my mom and dad went to?"

"Absolutely, I will not have the child of my favorite students not get the best education possible." She sat up taller, education was the foundation of a brilliant future and she was going to make sure Harry had the best.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the different subjects taught at the school and McGonagall shared more stories about his parents with him. Until he was tuckered out and Flipsy prepared a bedroom for him. He was amazed because he never had a bed before.

Harry dreamed of being in a castle, learning magic and having friends. A cool, shadowy hand softly caressing him as he slept. The form taking a more even shape as the features settled into a face, it wasn't yet recognizable but in time, maybe.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Awwwww yeah, Chapter 2. Thanks to all the readers, I hope you enjoyed it. So here is the second part, hopefully one more before Harry get's on a train.

So first of all, yes in 1703 there was a massive cyclone that hit southern Britain, it killed over a thousand people, this is a real event, I decided that fit the 200+ years since a confirmed Obscurus and decided that it was really that which caused the destruction and that the Obliviators covered it up, so it leads to the question of what other events were actually magical in nature that got covered up?

Second, I am going over the ages of various people to determine who would have met who and who would only have heard of them, so this is to make more sense when I have people talk later.

Third, I forget.

Fourth, I hope the amount of Hurt is matched by the amount of comfort that if provided. I want people to feel the pain in the writing but also to have hope it gets better.

Fifth, unless theres a big push, the Dursleys are pretty much out of the story, unless maybe later something is said in passing, but right now they might as well be dead.

Sixth, Next chapter is all about Diagon Alley, the Greedy Goblins, Meeting Malfoy and Old Men Machinations.

Seventh, my outline for this chapter went far longer than this one did, so most of that will be Chapter 3 instead, which I will try to upload in a few days, this is helping me sort out ideas for Magician's Secret and Boy who Linc'ed, I have not abandoned those. The USJ will take time, I need to figure out placement of like 40 kids and stuff.

Seventh, yes I wrote seventh twice, wanted to see who noticed.

Ninth, House elves are people, they have their own customs, so I decided female house elves are catty as shit. Which adds some personality to them.

Tenth, Technically Re'em Blood isn't listed as a Non-tradeable item, but Unicorn blood is, just not what category it is, so I decided they would be B, highly regulated but not like Dragon or Manitcore eggs.

Thank you to all my new followers and favoriters. Shout out to PattiCobain, the first person to hit a follow on this story. Hope you enjoy.

Thank you Vukk again for finding that huge small plot hole, it annoyed me that something that obvious got overlooked. Hope you and others can point out where else I dropped the ball in other chapters.

Enjoy, and leave brutal reviews.


	3. Chapter 3 - Vaults, Wands and Old Fools

Harry was always an early riser, this morning when he woke up in a fluffy bed, covered under warm blankets, he smiled. Pulling the covers off he hopped onto the floor and turned around to make his bed.

After getting dressed and using the toiletries, he walked over to where he remembered the kitchen to be, only to see Flipsy standing in the room, apparently waiting for him.

"Oh, good morning Flipsy," Harry softly spoke to the little elf, he stayed quiet to not wake up McGonagall. He hadn't expected anyone to be awake yet. "Did I wake you up?" he sheepishly asked.

"Oh no's, Mister Harry Potter sir," The elf bowed to the child, "I's be awake when you do, so I be useful."

"Well, I'll make breakfast and you can show me what chores I need to do then." He walked over to the cabinets to begin taking out skillets, only to be stopped be the smaller elf.

"Mister Harry Potter sir be a guest, Flipsy will be's making breakfast," she insisted. "It be's elf work to cook the food." Correcting the child. Suddenly he looked around nervously, which confused the elf.

"Then what can I do," he quietly asked. He knew he would be in trouble if he didn't get the chores done, and he really didn't want McGonagall mad at him.

"You can be sitting and waiting for breakfast." The elf answered not understanding the worry the child had, being a well-treated house elf and working around the castle elves, meant she did not recognize the actions Harry displayed as similar to those of a house elf who was treated harshly.

Harry panicked, he had to do something, if McGonagall asked him what he did all morning and he told her nothing, she would think he was a freeloader and throw him out. "Please, I can help." His voice raising, "I can clean, I can fix things, just something, anything please." He began begging the elf.

"Cooking and cleaning be's elves work." She tried to instruct him, she knew some students at the castle liked to do somethings for themselves, but the castle elves always handled the meals and upkeep. _"Handling a child at home is different than at the castle."_ She internally sighed.

However, looking at the fear in his eyes, she knew he was really concerned about not helping, so she decided, "I be cooking the food, you be setting the table." His sigh of relief at being allowed to do that little was alarming to her. She directed him to wear the tableware was, he swiftly scooped up what he needed and placed it around at three spots at the table.

" _That makes sense, that "thing" will probably also need to eat"_ she thought with disgust about the Obscurus she saw, being a magical creature, she was more attuned with the feel of magic, and everything about the floating shadow was wrong, it was painful, sad and scary to her.

It was a few minutes later that the food was finishing being cooked that Harry was standing around nervously, "Flipsy," he almost whispered, having learned that the elf can hear really well, "Do we go and wake up McGonagall?" he wasn't sure of what to do, it was during the week and Vernon would normally be up in a few more minutes to go to work. But he didn't know the schedule of the woman whose home he was staying in.

The elf just shook her head, "Mistress McGonagall, will be waking up soon Mister Harry Potter sir," with her hearing she could tell from across the house that McGonagall was just waking up. "You go be washing up now." She shooed him out of the kitchen.

"But what about the dishes?" he asked as he was pushed from the kitchen into the dining room.

Shaking her head, "I be doing the dishes, it elves work." Worried that the human didn't understand what she was even here for. _"Be's trying to do Flipsy's job. Hmph, cute little troublemaker. Oh, I be teased if other elves knew child wanted to help elf do chores."_

Harry with reluctance returned to the bathroom to wash his hands, that didn't even get dirty since he only handled the clean tableware. _"I'll just have to get to the kitchen faster to make lunch today then."_ He decided, he'd show McGonagall that he was useful then she would keep him around longer.

A few minutes later Harry was standing in the dining room, when Minerva walked in, a bit shocked that someone so young was awake at this hour, "You didn't want to sleep in Harry?" she had half expected him to be almost comatose after the last few days he was having.

Harry shook his head in response, "If I'm not up when the sun rises, I'm" he paused, didn't want to talk about what happened when he was lazy. Minerva understood and decided some positive reinforcement was necessary.

"It's okay Harry," she talked to him. "Waking up early is a good habit to have anyway, some of my colleagues like to sleep in until just before their classes start. _"Might be why Snape's hair looks so unwashed in the morning. He shouldn't be up all night in his laboratory working on potions."_

Harry was amazed, he never had been praised for something as simple as being awake, it was a new feeling, being complimented and he liked it. McGonagall sat down at the head of the table, with Harry sitting to her left. Puzzled seeing a third placement for the morning meal.

"Harry were we having a guest over?" she asked, she didn't remember saying she was having a visitor and she couldn't think of anyone Harry knew who would come on such short notice.

"I set that place for Flipsy." He now more confused than her.

Flipsy chose that moment to bring in the food, "House elves not be eating with Masters." McGonagall nodded, know that elves didn't eat at the table with their master.

"But what do you do when you don't have a guest?" he asked.

"I simply eat by myself." She answered, unsure of why the concept was difficult to understand.

Harry looked at his plate that Flipsy had added food to. "That sounds lonely." He was used to eating by himself and out of the way of the Dursleys, he would have liked to have someone to sit with and talk to, it seemed nice with how much the Dursleys laughed and smiled.

Minerva stopped, she never thought about how she felt when she ate, she always just sat and finished her meal, more important things to do than contemplate whether she had company or not. "Well that's," she paused, _"Think of it from his perspective"_. Turning to the elf who was standing there, concerned at what the boy was suggesting. "Flipsy, would you like to eat breakfast with us?" she asked the diminutive elf.

Now it was Flipsy who was put on the spot. House elves never ate at the same table as their masters, they ate separately it was just how things were. She was unsure how to decline this politely as it hadn't happened before. "No Mistress McGonagall ma'am, I bes eating alone." She answered.

McGonagall was expecting the rejection, but Harry who thought he was doing something right, sunk his head, "Oh, I'm sorry." Flipsy understood she did something wrong, so tried to correct it.

"No Mister Harry Potter sir, it not bes that, house elves just don't eat in public, we eats in elf spaces." Hoping that her answer cheered up the boy. Instead it did the opposite, as quiet contemplation crossed his face.

Harry was thinking hard, _"I cook, clean and fix things, I have my own spaces away from other people, I only had hand-me-downs and I was at the beck and call of the Dursleys."_ Harry came to a startling conclusion. _"Am I a house elf?"_ he put down his fork before he even touched his food.

McGonagall noticed something was wrong, she didn't know what the problem was, all he did was think Flipsy would eat with them. "Harry, is everything okay?" she reached over to take his hand. His eyes full of tears he looked at McGonagall.

"Am I human?" he bawled, McGonagall was stunned, she wasn't used to seeing someone have an existential crisis, not while sober at least. She didn't know how to respond.

" _How do I tell a child, who by all rights was treated worse than any house elf I have heard of, that they are just as human as me."_ She glanced at Flipsy, hoping that the elf would know what to do. The worry in the large eyes, told her she didn't.

" _Well, I have to do something, I just hope it's the right thing."_ McGonagall gave a tight squeeze to the hand she still held, "Harry, you are human. You have just suffered through more than most people ever will, but never think you aren't human because of it." She believed her pep talk was working, Harry's eyes were drying up. "If I were to be honest, I would think the Dursleys weren't human, to treat anyone like that, it's not something I can even begin to understand the reason for."

Harry just nodded. Flipsy before leaving asked, "Is everything okay now Mister Harry Potter sir?"

Harry looked down at the little elf and asked, "Why are you calling me Mister Harry Potter sir, I'm just Harry." He chuckled, he was just Harry not mister, not sir, not house elf, not human, just Harry and he was okay with that.

"Well then Just Harry," she cheekily replied, "I be's hoping you feels better, because even if yous be a house elf, I think you bes a good house elf." At this she popped away, taking just long enough to hear Harry thank her.

* * *

It was just after noon when McGonagall and Harry stood in the living room in front of the fireplace. "Now first, you say loudly and firmly, Leaky Cauldron then throw the powder down."

"Will it hurt?" he asked, looking up at her. He didn't think it would since the nurse came in that way and she stuff her head in.

"No, but it could be a bit uncomfortable the first time, so I recommend that you step out when you arrive, otherwise you might get flung out." She told him.

"Why would it fling me out?" he asked the obvious question.

"To make room for the next person, otherwise you would be standing where there are and that would hurt."

"Oh", was all he could say to that.

"Now say it with me before we go, Leaky Cauldron."

"Leaky Cauldron."

"Good job." She praised him. She let him grab some floo powder, his louder than necessary shout of "Leaky Cauldron" made her suppress a smile.

Her own followed a few seconds later.

When Harry arrived in the dusty and drab bar, he had expected people, and a few stares when a small child stumbled out of the fireplace. But what he didn't expect was silence, when he stood up and looked around every pair of eyes, or in the case of some patrons, eye, was locked onto him. He felt very nervous about that, because people started rising out of their chairs and moving closer to him. As a response he backed up to the wall next to the fireplace as people rushed him.

The wooshing sound of fire and McGonagall stepped into a mad house. The normally calm patrons who tended nothing more than a nod or a salutation were packed into a corner, and in a second Minerva knew why.

Tom was behind the counter yelling at the top of his lungs to try to be heard over the ruckus of all the patrons swarming young Mister Potter. Minerva reached into her robes to pull her wand out, so she could let out a cannon blast of sound to try and calm the near riot, but it happened first, with a cry of panic Harry let loose with a force of magic that tossed everyone and everything a few feet back.

The patrons landing in a heap on the floor a good five feet away from the boy they had surrounded. McGonagall was the first to rise to her feet and quickly moved over to Harry and took his hand, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand, whispering to him gently, "It's okay Harry, I'm here, let's go quickly to the back, they won't be doing that again." She started to move to the door to Diagon Alley.

Harry instinctively pressed himself close to woman and moved even quicker than her to get to the back room, as the door closed behind them you could faintly hear Tom berating his customers. "You stupid lot, crowdin' the poor lad. Got what you deserved you did. Harry Potter finally comes into public after ten years and you poor sods try to give him a panic attack or sumthin'. Should toss you all out on your arses for that." As he cleaned a mug with an even dirtier rage, which was fine for him as it was enchanted to always clean, never dirtying anything but itself.

Harry was in the back room that led nowhere with McGonagall, he was shaking a bit as the adrenaline in his body made him hyper aware of his surroundings.

McGonagall kneeled down to eye level with the boy, "Harry, I'm very sorry for the way they acted back there. I must take some of the blame, I should have known they would act like this and apparated us into the Alley instead." She chided herself for not thinking ahead.

Harry was shaking his head. "How could you know they would do something like that? Do they treat all kids that way?" he asked, it was like everyone knew him as people kept saying things like, "Thank you Mr. Potter." "God bless you Harry Potter." And other words of praise.

Minerva had another moment where she realized she forgot his gaps in knowledge, of course everyone knew about Harry Potter, except for Harry Potter. "Harry, I never told you that you were famous, did I?" Him shaking his head was the only response.

"Well long ago, when I was a younger woman, there was a wizard," she started her tale. "He was really bad, he did horrible things to people. The Ministry couldn't stop him, the Aurors couldn't, he was too strong and the people who were his followers, called themselves Death Eaters." Remembering how dark things got in the war. "He was prepared to take over, until one Halloween ten years ago, he chose to attack a cottage that belonged to the Potters. Your mum and dad." Harry absorbing the information.

"I don't like this story." He whined.

"I don't either, but you need to hear it. Your father, bless him, fought bravely, tried to buy your mother as much as she could, and he was one of the best duelists I had ever seen and with you and your mother's lives on the line that battle was ferocious." She remembering the ministerial report of the amount of spells and the power behind them, it seemed like James had used everything his spells could touch as a weapon against that mad man and it still wasn't enough.

"Your mother, oh dear sweet Lily, stood in front of that monster, she gave her life for you, and when he tried to kill you. Something happened, that never in history had happened before, the curse he used. One of the darkest and most vile pieces of magic possible, failed, and he died, you lived. That is why you are famous, you saved the wizarding world and possibly the muggle one as well, you saved everyone." Hoping he understood the sheer gravity of the situation.

"Not everyone." He felt sad, his mum and dad died for him, they didn't have to, they could have let that bad man try to kill him first then they would be alive for him. Tears stinging his face, _"Or the spell could have killed both of us and I could have been with them instead."_

His dour expression hurt, she wanted him to feel good about all the people he saved, not feel sad about the people he lost. She pulled the crying child into her arms, "Harry please believe me, your parents chose to sacrifice themselves for you, nothing would have changed, they wanted you to live so much they stood against the most evil person in the world who wanted to hurt you, and that evil man paid the price for it."

"Who, who was he?" he wanted to know the name of the person he would hate forever. The person who took away his parents, who took his chance at happiness.

"We don't speak his name, it was cursed, said he could find you if you spoke of him. Instead he was referred to as You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." She told him.

Harry's gaze hardened, "I have to know the name of the person I hate. Please, he's already dead, who took my parents from me." A flash of light behind his emerald eyes, taking on a sickly glow.

Minerva shuddered, the color all to reminiscent of that infamous spell. "Fine, I will only say it once, his name was." She gathered herself, "Lord V-Voldemort."

Harry's anger flared, "Lord Voldemort" he muttered, Minerva shuddered not just at the name but the amount of disgust being portrayed by one so young. "I hate him."

"As did many people." She softly agreed, "He destroyed many families before you finally stopped him, that Harry is why the people acted like that, so please forgive us for trying to show our gratitude."

Harry looked at the sincerity on McGonagall's face, she really did mean what she said, they were just so excited to see him they acted poorly. "Okay, I don't have to like it though." He huffed, it was still really mean of them to crowd him like that.

"Now are you ready to enter the alley, since I will be with you the crowd shouldn't be that bad." She hoped. _"The Leaky Cauldron isn't normally this busy at this time of year, but then again, with all the families that "celebrated" after that Halloween, I wouldn't be surprised if the next few years batches of students are more numerous than normal."_

"I have one more question, did he look almost white as snow, slits for a nose and blood red eyes?" Harry asked her, the face he saw in some of his dreams.

Minerva froze, "How do you know what he looked like?"

"I see this man in my dreams sometimes, there's a lot of yelling and a woman screaming then some words and a flash of green light, and a lot of pain." Harry clenched his eyes, trying to bring forth the memories. "Was that woman my mum?"

Minerva swept the boy up in a tight hug. "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry that you remember that dreadful night." She pet his hair, whispering soothing words.

"It's not all bad, I can kind of remember my mum's face. She had long red hair and she was really pretty. I felt safe with her."

McGonagall was torn, to remember that last moments of your mother's life, but he could at least remember her, it was terrible that he had such little time with her.

They stood like that for a few minutes, before Minerva dried her face and took Harry by the hand. "Are you ready Harry?" He nodded firmly, he was ready to face the Alley.

Tapping the sequence of bricks, McGonagall put away her wand, "Welcome, to Diagon Alley."

* * *

It was amazing, Harry had never seen such sights. The wide range of colors, the smells of food and potions tickled his nose. He could hear the laughter of children and parents bustling them around.

He saw men and women in strange clothes, boys and girls running around in black robes, carrying trucks and pointing at different shops. It was strange to see, especially as he saw families wearing clothing that he recognized from stores around London.

As he and McGonagall walked through the crowd, he noticed people staring at him, _"How do these people know what I look like? I've never even been here."_ Harry walked past a bookstore called Flourish and Blotts. An overly large sign that couldn't be missed by anyone.

 _Harry Potter Ten Year Anniversary Defeat of You-Know-Who_

 _Collect the whole set of the adventure of The-Boy-Who-Lived_

As Harry looked to see groups of girls and women ranging the age spectrum with some boys spattered in the group. _"Apparently, I have merchandise"_ He thought to himself, horrified that people would tell stories about him. He started to hear the whispers of the crowd as people became aware of his presence. He tugged on McGonagall's sleeve.

"I know Harry, let's hurry up into the bank, before someone does something foolish." The two of them quickening their pace, and up the steps into the open door guarded by two goblins.

Safely ensconced in the foyer of the bank, Harry sighed in relief that he didn't get mobbed by even more people. Seeing the bank though, he pulled on McGonagall's sleeve and whispered, "What are those?"

McGonagall also kept her voice down, "Those are goblins, they run the bank." Hoping she didn't have to explain how Gringotts worked, that would be something Fillius would be better suited for.

"Like tellers and accountants then?" he clarified.

"Exactly"

As the two of them waited in line, Harry looked around, the bank seemed small and all the goblins were either dealing with a customer or counting stacks of coins. Harry wondered where everything was kept, "Why didn't I see any goblins shopping in the alley?" he asked.

"They tend to not buy from wizards, they have their own shops, excepting rare occasions when they venture out, they do so quickly and even then, most people won't ask a goblin questions about their business."

As the two of them stepped up to the counter, "That must be really difficult managing two separate economies. They must be really smart."

The teller only savagely grinned down at the two of them. Goblins were small in stature, so they made sure that when building the teller tables, they were raised quite a few feet off the floor, to impose upon the customers that they were bigger and more important, it was about power, and power equaled money.

"What can Gringotts do for you, _wizard_?" The teller almost spitting out the word.

McGonagall stepped up to the tell, "We would like access to Mr. Potter's vault."

The teller scratched his quill on some paper, annoyed that a witch so old seemingly forgot the important articles, "And does Mr. _Potter_ " agitated that it was speaking to an intermediary instead of the supposed child. "Have his key?" he grimly asked.

McGonagall felt quite ridiculous, after how many years of banking at Gringotts and after realization after realization she kept forgetting things about Harry, _"Of course he wouldn't have his key, those bloody muggles would have melted it down if they could, Merlin forbid they knew how to use it."_

Before McGonagall could speak up, Harry interjected. "What key?" he asked.

The teller rolled his eyes, "The key issued to you for your vaults". _"Oh how I hate dealing with simpletons."_

"I never got a key. Perhaps it got lost." Harry guessed.

The paper the goblin was writing on tore when the quill poked through the other side. "Gringotts does not lose keys." The teller slowly growled out. "Keys are sent by mail and deliver them to the owner of the vault or their guardian, since you don't have your key, you must not be who you say you are. Now leave before I have security _remove_ you for trying to impersonate a customer."

Minerva was shocked how did things go so bad, so very quickly. She just wanted to get Harry some money for his school supplies and now he might be _removed_ from the bank, she saw that once, the person spent over three weeks in Saint Mungo's recovering.

Harry didn't like the sound of being removed either, desperately he tried anything that would work, "Please is there any way I can prove who I am? Some form of ID, I really am Harry Potter."

The teller set their quill into its inkwell, "Gringotts will only accept a certified Ministry Birth Certificate." Harry thought that was bad, he didn't even know how to get to the Ministry and he was always told government was corrupt and inefficient. As a result he didn't want to see how bad a magical government could be. "Or," the goblin interrupted his thoughts.

"You can take a Blood Heritage Test." The predatory grin on the teller's face broadcasting how unpleasant that would be.

McGonagall had been quiet to long, _"This is getting out of hand I'll just have to take him to the ministry for a copy of his birth certificate, hopefully it shouldn't take more than a month to get."_

"Harry," she started, "We can just…" Only to be cut off not by the goblin, but by Harry.

"I'll take your test," Harry hated that the goblin didn't believe who he was, everyone else seemed to know who he was, so he doubted the goblin didn't "I am not a liar." He firmly spat back at the teller who was all but leering at him. The quill swirling on the teller's desk did not go unnoticed by the goblin. He sneered, "Well if you are so sure, I will _prepare_ the test for you."

The goblin grabbing a sheet of paper and hopping off his stool, quickly disappeared behind a door. Minerva turned on Harry, "Do you know what you just agreed to?"

Harry surprised by the sudden anger in her voice, shrank down, "I'm sorry," he squeaked out, "I was just mad, I shouldn't have said anything, please don't hate me." He covered his head, the last time he had spoken to a bank teller, Vernon had struck him hard. _"Even if they are goblins they are bankers and Vernon said troublemakers like me shouldn't talk to them or they'll steal all your money."_

"Just please don't hate me, you can beat me later like Uncle Vernon did, but I just don't want you to hate me." Tears coming down his face.

Minerva was stunned, _"This boy would rather I hurt him than think I hated him"._ "Oh, Merlin no Harry, I could never hate such a sweet boy like you." She bent down and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "I'm just frustrated that the goblin put those two choices before you without explaining them."

Harry stared up, _"She's doesn't hate me. She was just mad at the goblin, like I was. But I was the one that did something."_. "I'm sorry, Ms. McGonagall, I shouldn't have made a decision when I was angry." He wasn't sure what to do with his body, so he kept himself stiff.

"That's very wise Harry, a lesson many people learn all too late in life." She was proud at how quickly he learned from his own actions, some people never did.

"So, what _did_ I agree to?" he asked, now that the tension was gone.

"Well a Blood Heritage Test, they take a sample of your blood and put it in an enchanted basin, you will then have to declare who you are, it's a simple process."

Harry thought so as well, he's been cut before, and he knew how to say his own name, so it shouldn't be hard to pass, but he thought some more, _"Why would McGonagall respond like that if it was that simple?"_ He nodded to himself, "There's more to it than that isn't there."

"Yes, if you are not the person you claim to be, it will hurt you, the basin is enchanted, the cut will not heal, and you could be subject to penalties for trying to commit fraud in Gringotts."

"That sounds, unpleasant." He responded.

"It is Harry. Goblins are not known for their kindness."

The goblin chose that time to return, "Come along, _Mr. Potter,_ " he sneered. "We shall find out if that is really you."

As the two humans followed the goblin passed the teller counters and into a back room, Harry despite walking on a flat surface felt the sensation of going downward.

They turned off a small corridor and entered a room, it contained a desk, a knife, bowl, and a sheet of parchment. The goblin stepped behind the desk, grinning, _"It isn't every day we get to do a Blood Heritage Test, I do so enjoy those."_

Harry walked up to the desk with Minerva standing nervously behind him. "So, goblin, what do I have to do?" he firmly asked.

The goblin swiftly picked up the knife and held it mere inches from the boy across from him, to his displeasure the child didn't flinch or jump back, with a snarl, he turned the handle out, "You will cut your hand, deep, and fill the basin with your blood. Then you will place your bleeding hand on the parchment and state your full name, if you have any vaults in Gringotts, the blood on your hand will write them out for you."

"What does the basin have to do with this then?", he inquired.

The goblin answering the question, "The basin is connected to the vaults, if you have any here you have access to, that is how the parchment will know." With a bit of sadistic glee, "Now wizard, _cut yourself_."

Harry looked to McGonagall to see what he should do, he didn't want to rush into things like he did a few minutes ago and make her mad at him again. Her reluctant nod was all he got indicating he should continue the process.

He steeled his nerves, cutting himself had always taken great hurt or sadness before when he did so, this was determination to do it, and that was a lot less assuring than the times he tried to kill himself.

Firmly grasping the handle, he jammed it into his hand, a slight wince of pain and a sharp intake of breath, was all the satisfaction he would give the goblin. _"He wants to see me hurt, well, I'm stronger than that."_ As Harry held his hand over the basin, the blood running like a stream to fill the empty bowl, he never took his eyes off the goblin in front of him, nor did he relinquish the knife from his left hand.

After a minute of constant blood flow, the goblin spoke up, "That's enough blood in the basin, now place your hand on the parchment and speak your name, so I can be done with you."

Harry slammed his hand down onto the parchment. It hurt to do so, as the fresh cut was sensitive to stimuli, but Harry channeled that pain and shouted his name, "I am Harry James Potter." The blood that stained the bone white sheet, pooled and started listing his vaults.

Vault 687 – Harry James Potter Trust Vault

Vault 704 – Harry James Potter Personal Vault

Vault 3826 – Lily Potter (née Evans) Personal Vault

Vault 643 – James Fleamont Potter Personal Vault

Vault 59 – Potter Family Vault

Vault 13 – Peverell Family Vault

Taking the sheet from the boy and dropping a vial of blue liquid into the basin which caused the blood inside to burst into flames, causing Harry to jump back and clutch his hand to stem the flow of blood.

After taking an unnecessary amount of time to read the paper, the goblin set it down, "Well Mr. Potter" dropping the earlier vitriol from his tone, "It seems you are who you claim to be."

Walking towards a door that led deeper into the bank, "I will return with keys to your vaults and inform the goblin who manages the Potter accounts that someone has come in with authority to make decisions on the funds." He stopped just before leaving, "You may also treat your wound at this time." He cackled as he walked down the hall.

Minerva barely waited for the door to close before she rushed to Harry's side and pulled out her wand, she was no Madame Pomfrey but she could treat a cut like this until she had a chance to get him proper care. "Ruddy goblin," she spat out, "Treating a child with such contempt." She began muttering various expletives about the goblin, keeping it quiet so Harry didn't learn them, she blamed the amount of time spent around a drunken Flitwick, he had some very creative swears. _"Better than a drunk Snape, such a sad drunk. Lily's death hit him especially hard. I hope that having her son will at least brighten him up a bit."_

After a few spells to close the wound and transfiguring a strip of her robes into bandages she finally cleaned up the blood that had dripped on the floor just before the door opened and the goblin from earlier, followed by another, walked in. The first goblin placed five large gold keys onto the before quickly leaving the room.

Attention was placed on the remaining goblin who introduced herself. "I am Ironfang, I have been accountant overseeing the Potter family accounts for the last 7 years. I took over for my predecessor Silverclaw, who was the accountant for 73 years." She shuffled a large stack of papers, "You Lord Potter," she glared down at him. "Are interesting." Harry shuffled under her gaze, it seemed predatory, very different than how the other goblin looked at him.

"How so?" he squeaked out. The bravado he showed earlier faltering in this new atmosphere.

"Normally you don't have full control of the Family vault unless you are the Head of House," she passed a folder over to him.

Minerva interjected, "You said, _Lord_ Potter, how can that be, he isn't of age yet?"

The goblin looked harshly at this other woman, she didn't know why she was here but would like nothing more than for her to remain silent. "That is the conundrum. Before October 31, 1981. The Potters were an Ancient family," noticing the confusion on her client's face, she in doing her due diligence, explained.

"That means, that they could trace their magical family to at least the founding of Camelot, which would be the twelfth century at the earliest, but not before the founding of Hogwarts, which would be the tenth century, so they are not a Most Ancient House."

Harry was astonished, _"My family is possibly older than Camelot, amazing, I wonder if any of them knew King Arthur."_ He briefly imagined himself on horseback saving damsels from dragons, until Ironfang interrupted his daydreaming to explain further.

"Now what happened to change the Ancient House of Potter, into the Noble and Ancient House, was that you defeated the man who called himself The Dark Lord Voldemort." McGonagall cringed at how casually the name was thrown out, of course the goblins didn't care, he hadn't amassed his forces to turn on the Goblins, yet, even they had to know that he wouldn't have stopped at the wizarding world.

Harry contemplated on this new information, "I knew that he was a bad wizard, but I don't see how me stopping him earned my house a Noble title."

"Normally it wouldn't" Ironfang responded. "However, Voldemort had slain the Lords of three Noble and Most Ancient House, the Bones, the Prewetts and the McKinnons. And when you slew him you avenged those Lords, this was act that by ancient laws was considered a noble act." She tried to impress the gravity of the situation to him, "That awarded the House of Potter the title of Noble, which not even all of the Most Ancient Houses have that title."

Harry thought hard on this, looking to McGonagall for advice, only she knew she could give none, being a half-blood, she was only aware of the existence of most houses because of the students, and a few colleagues over the years who explained some of their family history.

"What does that mean, exactly?" he stopped and clarified. "What changed with the Potter House becoming a Noble house?"

Ironfang chortled, "Very little and so very much." She had brought a large tome on the chance he wanted more information and was delighted that her new client was at least curious, and that leads to intelligence. She had handled many wizarding accounts that the families were very rude or stupid.

Cracking open the large book, "A Noble house is entitled to a seat on the Wizengamot," seeing more confusion, "Your government's legislative and judicial body." Continuing when Harry nodded, "You are also awarded special protections because of this, if brought up on charges you cannot be forced to take veritaserum, it is perceived as a slight on the honor of your house." Seeing that he was confused once more, "Veritaserum is a truth potion," slowly closing the book.

"Lord Potter," pausing to make sure she had his full attention, "It seems to me that you are very unaware of many things in the magical world that if even half of those stories about you were half-truths, you would know some of this." She glanced when Minerva seemed to shuffle uncomfortably, "Where have you been spending your childhood?" she directly asked him.

In a voice barely above a whisper, "In a cupboard under the stairs." Hoping that Ironfang would mishear that as something not what he just said.

"Cupboard," she paused, forming her thoughts. "under the stairs?" she drew out the last word. "Lord Potter, with whom have you been staying with?"

Harry shrank into himself, "My aunt and uncle."

Ironfang, "And why might that be?" she smelled something funny. Why Lord Potter would choose to isolate himself with muggles when he had the funds and properties to live in the magical world and even relatives better suited to raise him, the Malfoys and Tonks families were distantly related through his, Great grandfather's brother's wife's nephew, Cygnus Black the Third. Making Narcissa and Andromeda his fourth cousin once removed.

Harry glanced at McGonagall who looked ashamed of herself, "I was placed there," he didn't want to be called a liar, so he should answer honestly, he just didn't have to tell everything.

"Do you wish to continue staying with them?" She expected him to deliberate on that for a least a little bit of time, him nearly screaming no, made her jump in her chair a little. She knew that such a reaction it was better to not ask why, but to provide a solution. Drawing another folder from the stack, "Lord Potter, there are a list of properties that are owned and as Head of House you have complete access to them."

Handing the paper over to him for him to read.

Potter's Cottage, Godric's Hollow, England (Landmark)

Potter's Rest, Dover, England (Damaged)

Potter's Retreat, Marseilles, France (Rented)

"Wow," Harry was amazed, he had houses, sure he figured he couldn't live in two of them and it seemed wrong to kick out the other family. That when Ironfang suggested he do so, he was quick to respond that he didn't need to have a home that badly to take someone else's away from them.

"But the damaged house, could it be fixed?" Harry was hopeful, to live in the house his family did.

Ironfang had a very dangerous gleam in her eye. "Oh Lord Potter, we can do much more than fix it. By the time the goblins are done, it will be one of the most fortified buildings in all of Britain." Folding her hands.

If Harry didn't know better she would be easily mistaken for a super villain, "For a price she added."

McGonagall knew she had to step in and do something, when goblins started talking price that's when you knew they wanted to take you for everything you had. "Harry, maybe you should get estimates and see what can be done for repairs in different time frames." Hoping to have him not started signing forms before knowing what he was getting into.

Harry nodded at the advice, turning back to face Ironfang, "I would like to see what options I have available to me before I start making any decisions." Seeing that Ironfang didn't seem disappointed with his choice, "I just learned I have a vault and Noble house and everything, I need time to come to terms with some of this."

Ironfang nodded, pleased that her client wasn't one to blindly rush into big financial decisions. Sure, the bonus she would have gotten from the sale of the overly expensive and most of them unnecessary wards would have been good to have in her pocket, but a client who might know what they are doing, that's worth a lot more to her. _"If I can advise this human right, I could see Senior Account Manager in a few decades,"_ she cheered to herself.

Picking up folders, "Lord Potter, I will be making copies of the folders and mailing them too you in time, I hope your business is as long and profitable as is your life."

Before she left Harry said one last thing. "It's just Harry, Ironfang, I'm just Harry."

She left down the hallway with joyous laughter, _"A human with a sense of humor. Oh, you will never be Just Harry. You never had a chance."_

When Harry and McGonagall returned to the lobby they were greeted by another goblin, "Would you like to inspect your vaults now, valued customer?"

Harry having almost forgotten the reason for coming to the bank, nodded, "That would be good," he started to follow the goblin only to notice McGonagall wasn't following him, he quickly moved and took her hand, "Aren't you coming with me?"

"It's not proper for me to follow a student or potential student into their vaults," she told him.

"But I might need your help, I don't know anything about money." He might have said a little too loud as the goblin standing guard by the door, scoffed at the declaration.

"Mister, I mean Lord Potter," she tried to start.

"Please," looking up at her with big innocent eyes.

"Fine, I will inform you what I think you might need, but if anyone asks," as Harry and Minerva walked quickly to catch up to the goblin that had crossed the lobby. "I was against this."

"It's okay, I trust you," he said all to easily.

" _I was worried about that,"_ she thought as she sat in a cart that took off at break-neck speeds. She tightened her grip on the handlebar in front of her, the ride always made her nauseous. However, the eleven-year-old screaming for joy in her ear made it a tad more bearable. _"I just hope I can keep that trust."_

Stopping at the first vault, "Harry Potter Trust Vault", the goblin informed them, then sticking out his hand, "Key please." Harry handed the key that matched the vault, number 687. "Stand back please," before inserting the key into its hole.

When the door opened Harry was in shock, the stack of coins was huge, they all looked so shiny in their gold, silver and copper colors. "Wow" he breathed out. "How much is in here," he turned to the goblin who ran his hand along the wall, "983 Galleons, 412 Sickles and 14 Knuts" the goblin informed him.

"Is that a lot?" looking at McGonagall and the small goblin.

"It's a bit more than a year's salary for me, Lord Potter." She was impressed, that was just his trust vault.

"What's the exchange rate?" this time asking the goblin.

"ten Sickles to the Galleon, ten knuts to the sickle."

"And to the pound?" as Harry didn't know what that really meant.

"Around 50 Pounds to the galleon." The goblin quickly responded.

"So, I have," he paused doing the math in his head quick, "Around fifty thousand pounds?" he exclaimed, having that amount of money was insane for the young lord.

"In your trust vault yes, Lord Potter."

"What is a trust vault, exactly?" He heard a trust fund and thought it might be similar, but he knew very little about the magical world and he could easily be wrong.

"It is a vault set up to pay for school expenses and your tuition."

"Oh, that's what I thought it would be then." Turning back to McGonagall. "How much should I need to take then?"

McGonagall thought to herself, _"A wand is 7 galleons, all the first-year books should be around 20 galleons, a good trunk to last his seven years would be about 20, supplies around another 10, robes and the such."_

Humming to herself, "probably 100 since you have none of the things you will need."

"That seems smart," Harry nodded and then taking a pouch provided from the hook by the door, grabbing coins by the stack and putting them in the seemingly bottomless pouch. After getting the 100 coins he needed, the goblin shut the door and they were off to the other vaults.

His personal vault just had some stacks of coins, as he hadn't put anything in there since it was opened.

His mothers and father's vaults respectively held their own different sized stacks of cash. His mothers had notes she had taken in her school year, though McGonagall advised against taking those as most of his mother's note were from her later years and without the proper foundation Harry could and most likely would do more harm trying out something without proper experience and he saw the logic in that, deciding that he would return for them later.

When he was rummaging through his father's vault McGonagall swiftly rushed over and snatched the stack of magazines from his hand, they were titled Play something, as he didn't get a chance to finish looking at them, when he asked what they were, her response was, "Someone will tell you when you are older, and Merlin willing it won't be me."

So, Harry was a little irritated, he wanted to see why his father kept those in his vault under a note that said, "Burn these if Lily starts asking questions Padfoot."

However, his emotions faded into awe as he stared into the Potter Family Vault. Even McGonagall was amazed, giant mounds of coins stretched for meters into the cave. Chests overflowed with gold and gems, antique weapons and armor lined the walls, a pedestal in the back lain a book. "How much is in this vault." Harry asked the goblin. He was astonished by the vast size of it.

"one million, two hundred and seventy-seven thousand, nine hundred and six galleons." Harry tuned out the rest. By his guess he had well over fifty million pounds in the Potter family vault. "So, this is what almost a thousand years of accrued wealth looks like."

Harry walked along the vault alone, McGonagall not willing to step foot in another family's vault, even the goblin standing by the entrance.

When he was drawn to the pedestal he saw the book, he could tell the book had a French label, but he could still read it, "Potter Grimoire" he muttered. He turned to see a ring resting on the cover. Taking it and instinctively putting it on his right hand.

Harry knew he would have to come back one day to read the book, but he had spent too long in the vault and didn't want to take the entire day.

He rejoined the two people waiting for him by the cart and showed McGonagall the ring he found. He commented on how cool it looked.

Minerva shook her head, _"Of course he wouldn't know what it was."_ Indicating to the ring, "That is a Lord's Ring." Harry looked down at the piece of jewelry he was wearing, "It signifies you as the head of your house."

"Oh, so my dad wore this ring?" he looked at it again, coming to understand that he was wearing a piece of family history.

Heading to the last vault on the list, they went deep into the bowels of the bank. Passing doors that looked like they haven't been opened in centuries. When they arrived, McGonagall didn't even exit the cart, the drabness and dark unnerved her.

The goblin ushered Harry over to the door, "Place your hand on the door and do not take it off until I tell you to." Harry following the goblins instructions waited until an ear-piercing screen as the metals in the door opened.

In the surprisingly small vault, there was no money, no jewels, no arms and armor, just a pristine oak table with a folded card on it. Harry waited until the Goblin said he was allowed to enter, the goblin not even looking into the vault. Harry cautiously walked over the table and picked up the card. It read, "What is Death?" and Harry looked around hoping there was more in the vault, but with it was empty, he set the card back in its spot on the table and sat down in the cart. He did not speak of what he found with McGonagall or the goblin, and neither asked.

* * *

Harry was surprised that the sun seemed to be further along than he thought it would be. "We were only in there for an hour, weren't we?" asking McGonagall.

"Oh, heaven's no child, we were in the bank for almost 3 hours." McGonagall shook her head, _"Going to teach the child the Tempus charm first, since he doesn't seem to carry a watch."_

Starting with getting a trunk, so that Harry could keep all his purchases in it, instead of carrying them around, they purchased the books since it was next door, after which getting him the supplies that he would need, finally stopping at Madame Malkin's, to have him fitted for robes, while Harry was getting measured, Minerva told her to make sure his were enchanted to grow with him, since she was most assured that Harry would a 'growth spurt' over the next month with his treatments.

Madame Malkin explained that would add quite a bit more to the cost than was normal for school robes, Minerva assured her that herself and Dumbledore would be paying for it. Which was good enough to get started on the order.

Harry standing on a platform next to a blond boy looked nervous, he had never been fit for clothes before.

The boy looked over and sneered at him, "A bit young to be getting your Hogwarts robes runt." The boy scanning the shop and seeing McGonagall, "Oh a mudblood, make sense, they were always lesser than a proper wizard, makes sense you look the part too."

"H-hi, I-I'm," Harry tried to introduce himself. He didn't know why this boy was mean to him and didn't know what a mudblood was, so he tried to be nice. He reached out his hand to greet the other boy.

"Ugh, don't try and touch me, you filthy creature," The blond boy looked at him in shock and disgust, "I can't believe they let freaks like you in our school."

Harry teared up, _"How did this boy know I was a freak."_

"Then again that muggle loving Dumbledore always trying to destroy our proper traditions." And before the boy could go on a tirade about how mudbloods and blood traitors were the problems in their society, an older looking model of the boy came and collected him. "Hope to see you in Slytherin mudblood, we'll have a lot of fun."

Harry knew that the fun was the kind Dudley and his friends enjoyed, "Whatever a Slytherin was, he didn't want to be one."

When the tape measure finished up and flew over to Madame Malkin, Harry walked over to McGonagall with a red eyes and tear stains on his cheeks. "Oh, Lord Potter what's wrong?"

"Am I," he hiccupped, "Am I a mudblood?"

Minerva gasped, "Where did you hear such foul language?" she snapped at the distraught boy.

Harry rubbed his hands on his dry and tired eyes, "Another boy said I had to be a mudblood and that I was a freak." He was very upset, if some other kid who didn't even know him could tell he was a freak just by looking at him, it must be true.

McGonagall knelt to eye level with the child, "Lord Potter, mudblood is a disgusting term for a muggleborn, it means dirty blood." She knew he didn't know the term used and should have been more understanding about his question. "I'm sorry I was harsh with you, it just really irritates me that some parents would raise their children like that."

Harry wiped his eyes, "But I'm a freak, even someone new can tell I'm one."

Pulling the child into a hug, "You are not a freak, that boy doesn't know a single thing about you, how about we go get your wand then some ice cream before we leave."

Harry liked the sound of that, anything to get out of here and curl up into a ball. His emotions throughout the day not having caught up to him yet. "I think I would like that, and please just call me Harry like you were, it was nice."

"As you wish."

* * *

When Minerva took him to Ollivander's wand store, she took his hand, "Harry I'm going to leave you in that store." Harry panicked.

"Please, I'm sorry, whatever I did wrong I'll fix it, don't throw me away, please." He begged.

" _I really need to choose my words more carefully when speaking to emotionally damaged children."_ Minerva shushed the boy who was starting to cause a scene. "No no no, I'm not leaving you like that, it's just a tradition, every witch or wizard gets their wand on their own, it's a deeply personal experience."

Harry was reluctant to let go of the woman he had grown attached to in such a short amount of time. "Promise you'll be here when I'm done," he asked, hoping this wasn't a chance to abandon him like the Dursleys always said they would d.

"I can't promise that," McGonagall answered, Harry's chest hurt, he knew it, once she got him his school supplies she would toss him to someone else, "I will find you though if you get done before me, then it's ice cream." She tried to cheer him up.

Harry glumly nodded and walked into the store with a heavy heart. The man sneaking up behind him however, did nothing to improve his mood. In fact, it made it worse, to be scared like that after going through an emotional rollercoaster, Harry's magic reacted and blasted the elderly man into the door of his shop, passerby's confused at what the eccentric wand maker was up to this time.

"Well then, I guess I finally deserved that one." He straightened himself out and pushed himself from his own floor. "Should sweep under my racks, I think I see a Bertie Botts." Reaching over a plopping it in his mouth, "No wait, just dusty rat dropping, or is that a new flavor. Question for the ages."

Turning to the boy who was huddled into a corner, watching this strange man move about his shop like nothing and everything was happening at once.

He grabbed boxes full of string and blocks of wood, then put them right back where he found them, Harry watched him twirl a stick ten times one way and then ten times back. Seemingly ignoring him, Harry moved around a rack, keeping an eye on the man as he flittered around the shop. Both occupants moving deftly around stacks of boxes and other various objects littering the floor.

Harry instead felt a hand on his shoulder, the same calming presence he had for years, it drew him to a rack, boxes lining the shelf.

Having taken his eyes from the shopkeeper he reached up, only to be spun around. "Not to be rude but it is my job to match the wand, no need to take away the fun."

Mr. Ollivander brought Harry over to the center of the shop, "Hmm, now let's see if all my years can find me the wand meant for you, would be a shame if you found it yourself, put me right out of business if you could find it yourself."

Grabbing a box, "Spruce and Unicorn Hair, 9¼"," as he handed the wand which turned red in the boy's grasp. "Nope, definitely not. Probably really mad that one."

Rushing down the aisle, "Maple and Dragon heartstring 6½"," the wands reaction being so mild in Harry's hand. "Hmm sad really, that wand might have wanted a vacation. No matter."

As Ollivander tried a dozen more wands, he stopped, "Curious, very curious. Mr. Potter, I want to try one more wand before we go to the one you seemed drawn to."

He went behind the counter and pulled out a dusty box, "I wonder," as he handed the wand to the boy, the lights flickered, and the winds swept around the child, "Holly and Phoenix Feather 11"," waiting for the moment to end. "Now how did that feel."

"Wrong," Harry grit his teeth.

"Whatever do you mean wrong?"

"It's not mine." He placed the wand back in its box. Ollivander felt concerned he could tell the wand bonded with the boy.

"Not yours, but then who could it belong to?" Mr. Ollivander stared into the boy's eyes, _"Does he know something I don't?"_ a faint flash behind Harry's eyes was missed in the normally aware wand makers gaze.

"I don't know, but something in me liked the wand, but not me." He did his best to explain the feeling.

" _In my 93 years alive I have seen wizards choose to bond with a wand and the wand rejecting them, but never has a wand tried to bond only to be rejected by the wizard,"_ He thought to himself, _"Then again, Mr. Potter is different than most. Let's see what he was going to choose for himself."_

Mr. Ollivander, carefully walked to the rack from earlier, running his hands over the different boxes, until he grabbed the one that the young man seemed transfixed by.

He slowly walked back to the child, carrying the wand box, like he was in a funeral procession. With care and slow movements, he opened the box.

"Cedar and Thestral hair, 13" exact"," When Harry took the wand, there was no big fanfare, no loud presentation of lights and a show of power. But old Ollivander knew, this was the boy's wand, a wand of one who knew pain, suffering and death like it was an old friend. He never felt so sorry for someone he gave a wand to. Wishing he had the strength to take the wand and force him to use the Holly and Phoenix that cried out, but it wasn't to be.

This wand would take many lives, not because it wanted to, but because it had to. When the boy left with his wand to wait outside for his companion, Ollivander closed shop early, something he had never done in the nearly 80 years he had been crafting with his father and grandfather.

Today was a very sad day, and he worried that in the coming years that boy would be put to the test once more, he prayed that the people he loved and surrounded himself with would be enough or that boy would break, and we will all suffer for it.

* * *

Harry was only standing outside the shop for a minute hugging the wand to his chest, it felt cool to the touch, calming him and he felt assured that wand would be with him until the day he died.

When McGonagall walked up with his belongings, Harry was prepared for this, he knew that now that he had all his things, she would send him off somewhere, not wanting to be around him any longer.

When he heard a hoot he was confused, McGonagall reached behind her and held in front of him a cage, containing a small white owl with speckled spots. "I thought you might like a friend," she told him, hoping the gift was well received. Harry slowly walked up to the bird, who quietly watched the approaching child.

"H-Hi, I'm Harry" he spoke softly to the owl. "Do you want to be my friend," he asked.

With a proud and lively hoot, the bird seemed to accept. Harry looking up at the woman holding the cage, "What's her name?" A brilliant smile on his face.

Minerva smiled back, "I figured you would like to name her, though I picked her out because she looked like she was wearing a wig and I thought she looked funny." The owl brekt at the insult.

"Hedwig." The owl turning to the boy, "Do you like that, Hedwig?"

The bird stood and seemed to think on it for a minute, before nodding with her body. "Brilliant. Come on Hedwig, let's go get ice cream."

After Harry and McGonagall had their sweet treat, Harry doing his best to ignore the stares from the other patrons.

As the two walked their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry paused. "Are you done with me?" He looked to the woman.

"What do you mean, Harry?" she remembered to call him by his title.

"I have all my school supplies and I supposedly have a house somewhere, does that mean you will get rid of me?" Harry worried.

"Of course not," Minerva taking the boys hand, "You may stay with me as long as you like."

The two of them walking into the Leaky Cauldron, Harry pressed himself closer to the older woman. "Now none of that Mr. Potter," Tom the bartender said. "I already gave them all a right bollocking, won't be no more of that rudeness. Not in my bar no sir."

Harry was stunned, without asking this man went out of his way to make Harry more comfortable by talking down his own customers, "Th-thank you."

"Come along Harry, it's been a long day and Pomfrey is coming by to see you in the morning." She guided him to the floo, leaning down to whisper, "My home is called, Cat's in the Cradle," Harry giggled, not understanding the humor, he just thought it was funny. "Yes yes, let me give you a piece of advice, never bet naming your floo access on a drinking game."

"Oh Mr. Potter," Tom called out, "If I don't see you tomorrow, I just want to say, Happy Birthday and welcome back." A cheer from the patrons of Happy Birthday Harry, in various states of drunken slur rang around the bar.

* * *

" _Despite their actions earlier, they seem like alright people."_ As Harry stepped through the floo after McGonagall did. He expected to stumble out like before, what he did not expect was to almost crash into McGonagall, who stood a few feet from her fireplace.

Harry peaked passed the green tartan robes of the owner, to see an old man, with a very long white beard standing firmly in her living room.

"Ahh Minerva, good to see you are home," He spoke slowly, "I have something urgent that I wish to speak with you about."

Minerva was annoyed that the Headmaster would just let himself into her home, but he did say it was urgent, so she was at least intrigued by what the problem might be.

"It would seem that young Harry has disappeared from his home, when I sent Hagrid to go and retrieve the boy, he only came back to me saying that those muggles wouldn't stop yelling at him and about a freakish woman taking the, and I quote, freakish little bastard of a whore mother with her."

Minerva frowned, _"Why would anyone send Hagrid to go and collect a child to get them ready for Hogwarts, the half-giant is as nice as they come but he never even finished his schooling nor is he a head of house."_

Dumbledore ignoring that she was in her own thoughts, continued. "Now I hoped that you may have seen someone matching that description with young Harry at any time you were taking the new students to get their supplies."

"Nonsense, Lord Potter," she corrected the Headmaster, who had a habit of referring to people in an impersonal manner without their permission, "Was with me the entire time, being raised by muggles, I decided that he too should get a visit from a professor."

"Then where is." finally taking notice of the small child behind his subordinate. "Ah, there you are young Harry." holding out his hand, "It's time to go back to your family."

Harry was shocked, he took a step back from McGonagall, clutching Hedwig's cage to his chest tightly, "Y-you sa-said, I didn't have to go back." He backed away from the two older people, "You p-promised I wouldn't ever go back there."

Minerva shot Dumbledore a dangerous glare, kneeling down to comfort the distressed child, "And I meant it Harry, I will not let you go back to those people, if you don't want to and clearly you don't." Harry shaking his head profusely.

"But it is not his nor your decision to make," Dumbledore ignoring the signs that Harry was very close to his emotional limit. "It is for his safety that he returns to a loving home with his family."

McGonagall was furious, _"Did everything I just say get ignored because it wasn't what he wanted to hear?"_ "Absolutely not," she shrieked at him, "The idea that he could be safe with those people after what they did to him, you have to be blind to not see the pain they inflicted on the poor boy."

Dumbledore tuned out the enraged woman, watching as Harry scanned the room, " _Obviously looking for a way out."_

"And to call that a loving home, I have felt more welcome standing next to an enraged dragon than I did in that home," she continued, "We should never have put him with those muggles, I told you they were the worst sort and I shouldn't have let you tell me otherwise."

"None the less, Harry." Dumbledore pulled out his wand, "It's time to..." he froze.

Harry watched McGonagall and Dumbledore, the two people responsible for sending him to hell with the Dursleys, the difference was startling, McGonagall was screaming at the old man, who didn't seem to even acknowledge her presence. However, the wizard never took his eyes off of Harry, who felt very uncomfortable.

He began muttering, "I won't go back, I can't go back." He emotions roiling that like a swirling storm inside. "I'll die if I go back, I can't go back to not being loved." His voice raising, tears in his eyes, he watched as the old wizard drew his wand and something in him snapped, some part in him knew he couldn't let that man use a spell on him, he would be at the Dursleys again if that happened.

" _Please, help me."_ He begged the presence that was a comfort to him for so long. Dumbledore watched as the boy's magic coalesced and lashed out. Prepared to act and subdue the child once some of his magic damaged Minervas possessions.

" _She'll see that he needs to go back, his magic was suppressed at the Dursleys, here he lashes out like a wild animal."_

His thoughts were stopped as an unearthly shriek rang through the house and to his horror a form of shadow swiftly cross the distance from Harry to himself, picking him up and slamming him into the wall, when he tried to use his wand to banish the creature, he found himself pinned and staring into the blood red eyes of anger, hatred and pain.

"Noooo," he whined.

"Harry," Minerva cried, "Please, I swear you'll never go back to the Dursleys, ever again, just let the Headmaster go." She grabbed the child into her arms, "Please, don't do this, you haven't done anything wrong, I'll take care of this. I'll take care of you." She sobbed, she knew this would happen eventually his magic lashing out at someone who threatened him, as long as it stayed here, it was fine.

Harry was scared, he could hear screaming and, in his head, he was hearing conflicting voices, some telling him to kill and the other telling him to let go. He didn't know what to do. "Please I promise, you will never, ever go back to the Dursleys."

Harry raised his pinky finger, which McGonagall took, "Cross my heart and hope to die." Harry then collapsed into McGonagall's arms. The Obscurus letting the Headmaster fall to the floor, picking up his wand, he crossed the room and passed his Deputy Headmistress cradling a child on the floor.

His thoughts rushing around, grabbing floo powder, "Headmaster's Office" and disappeared in a flash of green flames. Stumbling into his office, full of trinkets and knick-knacks. The professor slumped into his chair. "Dopsy" he called for a castle elf, not looking up from his chair. Hearing the pop of an elf, "Inform all staff, come to my office, right away, whatever they are doing is less important, except for McGonagall."

"Right away Headmaster," as the elf popped to the different parts of the castle.

It was a few minutes before the first of his staff to arrive, Flitwick, concerned that he had to be called up with such urgency.

As more teachers filtered in, Dumbledore reached into his desk and pulled out an old bottle and a glass. Filling it, he gazed over the crowd watching him as he took a deep drink of the old liqueur. "Everyone it has come to my attention, and with the heaviest of hearts, I have to inform you that young Harry Potter, is an Obscurial."

He felt ripping the bandaging off quickly was better than beating around the whomping willow.

Gasps from the staff member, "No, can't be" bellowed Hagrid.

"How can you be sure," asked the school nurse.

Dumbledore pulled back the collar of his robe, his skin had turned blue from the chill of contact with the creature, "Is this enough. His obscurus attacked me."

The staff was asking each other what to do, while the portraits of past Headmasters chattered among themselves, Obscurials being more common in their time and were aware of the problem. "Yes, now settle down." waiting for the adults to calm themselves. "In my time I have had one firsthand experience with Obscurus and a second hand one, neither ended happily."

"What was the first," asked the Herbology professor.

"It was when I was just a lad, and I believe that experience to be what inspired Grindlewald." He remembered back to the fight between his old lover, brother and himself that resulted in his sister's death.

More gasps, that one of the evilest wizards of the last century was studying one of the most destructive forms of magic, what did this mean for Harry Potter. "And the second, was in MACUSA, around fifty or so years ago. Grindlewald had taken a child who was an obscurial and unleashed it on a densely populated area, hundreds died, it took the entire MACUSA government to cover up the damage.

For the older professors who remembered Grindlewald and his plans for cleansing the planet, that anything he wanted to study was considered very taboo.

"Then what happens to Mr. Potter?" asked Madame Pomfrey.

"Sadly, there is no cure. Young Harry Potter, has to die." Dumbledore assuring their worst fears of the situation.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Chapter 3 what what

So first off, yes I diverged from canon, I felt I needed to expand on certain things more. Firstly, yes Harry seems a bit like a cry baby, this whole situation is brand new to him, magic, the creatures, the people, having people like him. It's very overwhelming for an emotionally stunted eleven year old, so please bear with me as I have him do what he should have done growing up, have himself a good cry. It's an important part of the healing process, right now his biggest issue is trust. He knew how to work around the Dursleys so he didn't get emotional with them, it was all a dynamic, unhealthy but it was one.

Second thing I decided to expand on, Gringotts, in canon Hagrid, the guy who has a love for pretty much all magical creatures warns Harry they aren't the nicest people, so to me they have to be really bad if he thinks them as not nice. I did not do a "May your gold flow" bullshit, I did have a polite departing word, but nothing I haven't gotten from my own bank at times. Next I decided to do something that I haven't read in a fanfic before, a female goblin, it made no sense that they just use the same goblins he interacted with or Ragnock or some shit like that. Next Iron in her name denotes her rank, Silver would be a senior account manager, Gold would be for a branch manager, no I will not use Bronze, which is a muggle metal of copper, tin and other assorted metals, no Goblin would actually work with it.

Next I read the wikis and aparently the black are a Most Ancient house which ties back to the middle ages, during camelot, except that is wrong, Camelot or at the least Lancelot is part of french tales dating back to the 12th century, where as Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, so I decided that needed to change a Most Ancient House was before the founders, were as an Ancient house was before Camelot but not the founders, which would make more sense than what canon information putting the potters as a family only around 200 years old, I can trace my heritage back further than that and these wizards typically live well over a hundred years.

Yes, Voldemort did kill the lords of the Bones, Prewett and McKinnon, now even though Amelia and Susan are the remaining bones, neither of them is the Lord of the House, so it will become an issue when Susan the direct line becomes of age, because she will be the Head of House but it will not have a Lord. Now Molly Weasley the last survivor of the Prewett could potentially continue the line, by divorcing Arthur as the Weasley is an old family. So that person she remarries would need to take the Prewett name, which is a broke family anyway so no financial incentive to do so, makes it unlikely.

So it made sense that Harry avenging the murders of those lord was considered a Noble act, earning his House which yes is only an Ancient house, the title of Noble, which I also thought not all Most Ancient houses would be a Noble house, as their title is just how long they have been around and has no bearing on acts of nobility they may have partaken in.

From there, the properties, I figured the Cottage is a Landmark, makes sense, seen it fanoned a few times, then there is the Potter family home where Fleamont and the other older Potters died in, it wouldn't have been completely destroyed and I decided it was in Dover, since it seemed like a nice location, near the white cliffs. Scenic, sue me, I like the idea that the Potters are originally a french family coming over in the 11th century or so, changing their name from the french Potier, and settled in the souther coast of England, guarding the realm from intruders.

Lastly was the Retreat, I decided that was a summer home in the southern part of france, private beach, close to where the Potters were started. I will admit it's a cheap way to tie the renters, three guess on what beautiful French family rents the home. The rates are very fair since Mr. Delacors Father, was a dear friend of Harry's grandfather, so it ties Fleur into the story.

Next the vaults, Harry has a trust vault to pay for his school supplies, what is needed to raise him and tuition, which the amount of galleons plus interest over time would have covered it in the even that he was raised by someone else. His personal vault would have been opened by his parents for when he got older to teach him about finances and how to spend wisely. Him having control over his parents vaults was because they hadn't been rolled into the main family vault yet. James would have a personal vault of his own for the same reason Harry wood, while Lily would have one because how else was she supposed to manage her funds while going to Hogwarts.

The Peverell vault is old, it was listed them at the 12th century, which would have been three to four hundred years older than the Black family according to canon, so adjusting time the way I did, the Peverell family is probably from the B.C. times, in age.

Now the change I expect to draw ire. The wand change.

I looked into the pottermore for wand woods and cores. Cedar fit this Harry perfectly, he will trust slowly but if you try to hurt someone he cares about you will have the fight of your life on your hands. As for the core, I didn't feel any of the ones fit besides one related to understanding death. So I gave him a thestral core. Which to me meant that Harry will kill to protect the ones he loves and god forbid you hurt them, That is why Ollivander was so sad, he knew Harry had been through much in his life and that he would be through so much more pain to protect the people he cares about, killing to keep what is his.

But I still had the Holly wand want to bond with him, or at least the horcrux in his head.

I kept Hedwig, fight me.

I am dropping hints at some of the girls in his Harem, I am not sure who all will join but I have at least 4 of them so far, you can guess who they are, you can suggest your own.

Next chapter will be the beginning of his treatment and some basic household charms, yes underage magic, but I figure most parents would teach their children basic charms, like telling time, cleaning teeth, packing clothes, so I am of a mind that Minerva doesn't mind too much breaking that rule to teach the most basic of charms. Probably wont even have the ministry get on his ass for using something like the tempus charm or teeth cleaning if he was at a nonmagical home, especially with how backwards some pure bloods think muggles are, might not even think them capable of telling time.

So next, Dumbledore isn't evil, so if you expected him to do horrible acts to murder children, sorry, he's just a guy who sees the big picture and nothing else. So when things start to go against his plans, he is too old and stuck in his way to change them, so he'll ignore it, despite how dangerous that can be.

And for Harry being Lord Potter, that will matter, later. Being of age already means he can do things but also made to do things.

So hopefully my readers enjoy this really long chapter.

Like I said, Harry begins treatment next chapter, and depending might get on the Hogwarts express, if not the chapter after that. Unless something comes up.

I can't wait for Halloween. The day, the movie and the event in my story, good October for me.

Leave brutal reviews, if you cry let me know, that's when I know I'm doing a good job hurting people. If it's TOO much, I'll tone that back, depending on what that much is.

Have fun and happy reading.


	4. Chapter 4 - Plots, Pains and Parties

It was eerily quiet in the Headmasters office, then the sound broke, almost every staff member was yelling at the professor. After a few minutes, once everyone had calmed down from their initial reaction, the quarter goblin charms professor Fillius Flitwick spoke.

"Have you gone senile, Albus!", his normal calm barely stable from hearing such alarming news. "Speaking about murdering a child, let alone The-Boy-Who-Lived, you better have a damn good reason besides he is an obscurial."

As Albus prepared to explain how no child survived an obscurus manifesting. The small professor swiveled around the room, "Where is Minerva?" Causing all the other staff members to realize that the Deputy Head was nowhere in the room with them.

"She is not here, because she failed to inform me of the situation at an earlier date." Dumbledore was becoming irritated, he had already been yelled at by one of his professors tonight, then attacked and now everyone is questioning his decisions, _"Didn't they understand that as both a horcrux and an obscurial Harry was nothing more than a walking vessel for the darkest magic, of course not they don't know he is a horcrux."_

The herbology professor butted in, "What do you mean failed to inform you? She knew mister Potter was an Obscurial?" The headmaster's nod sent the other staff into a frenzy.

"Then you mean Minerva is with mister Potter right now?" asked the previously silent potions master.

"Yes, Severus I was at her home to have her answer if she knew the whereabouts of Harry, since Hagrid found he was not at his home." Albus gestured to the large groundskeeper. "It was then when I tried to take young Harry back to his relatives that he attacked me."

Madame Pomfrey was confused, _"That little boy attacked the headmaster, why a nearly drowned kitten looked more threatening than that scared child I examined. But an obscurus, was that what I saw behind his eyes?"_

As the conversation rolled on as each professor had questions that led them more off topic, the school nurse voiced her own. "How do you know it can't be cured?"

The other occupants were confused, they knew the headmaster was very learned, so they didn't question when he said that Harry had to die, just that they would have to play a part in it.

"I don't understand Poppy?" Albus questioned his nurse.

"How. Do you know." She pieced it out, "An obscurial. Can't be cured."

Albus collected himself, every pair of eyes in the room watching and every ear waiting to hear his answer. "When an obscurus forms the resulting magic kills the child and coalesces in a destructive swarm of magic."

"The Harry isn't an obscurial." The Madame interrupted, to the headmaster's ire. "If he formed an obscurus then we wouldn't be talking about how he has to die, since he and you and Minerva and quite possibly a lot of people in Hogsmeade would be dead right now."

Albus was stunned, it made sense, but he knew what he saw. The other professors waited for his rebuttal. "I know what I saw, I know what attacked me," he answered.

"Then you can show us," Hagrid of all people demanded of him. The half-giant pointing at the cabinet that kept his, well the school's, pensieve.

Without even waiting for an answer, the runes professor Babbling, walked over and opened the cabinet and drew out the large, but surprisingly light basin and placed it on the large oak desk.

With a sigh, Dumbledore pulled out his wand and withdrew the memory from not even an hour ago. Placing it in the pensieve, everyone as close as they could surrounded the large bowl, and dipped their hand in. The sudden sensation of falling as the professors, who had previously used the artifact before landed on their feet, seeing two Albus, one by their side and the other standing in the middle of the living room of their colleague, only this one a bit out of color.

They watched as McGonagall's floo came to life and their friend stepped into her home, seeing her surprise at the headmaster's appearance, they were irritated that he has a habit of entering places without permission.

Then the floo came alight once more and a small child looking no older than eight stepped out and crashed right into Minerva and clutched onto her robes nervously.

"He's so tiny." The Astronomy professor Sinestra cooed.

"He's eleven, he shouldn't be that small," snarled Madame Pomfrey who understood why the boy was in the state that he was. Severus piecing together who he had been brewing those, legal but questionable potions for.

As the professors watched as Harry began crying and begging and Minerva screaming at Dumbledore, they were shocked. Memory Albus drew his wand and then it happened, a shaking of the house that had gone unnoticed before, then in a flash a shadow formed and carried him across the room.

While they watch Memory Albus struggle to get free of the obscurus, Minerva was trying to calm down Harry, they saw weird hand movement between the two of them, before the obscurus let Memory Albus down from the wall and he left the room.

When they got out of the penseive and reoriented themselves, Albus spoke, "As I said before, young Harry is an obscurial. And that will cause him to die. What we are doing is making it peaceful and painless for him,"

Professor Binns who even as a ghost could enter a pensieve laughed, "That may be an obscurus, but it is unlike any I have seen or heard of."

No one expected the long since dead history teacher to take part in this discussion. But everyone was interested in what he had to say. "An obscurus is a manifestation of out of control magic, it rips it's self from the body destroying it in the process and giving the obscurus a time limit, depending on how strong the person was it will last longer."

The professors following along with the easy explanation. "That however was a controlled obscurus, I've never seen one or heard of one ever forming, but it was theorized back when _I_ was a young lad that if a part of you could lose control while another part was able to maintain it then the obscurus was no different than a magical attack dog, able to be called upon in times of need,"

Albus paled, this confirmed to him that Voldemort had stored a piece of his soul in the boy, which allowed him to control that highly dangerous magic, from Harry's body.

"How would one even part themselves in such a manner?" the arithmancy professor Septima Vector asked with glee, such theory and speculation were very interesting.

"No one could figure out how, it was just a guess, but some thought you had to not be quite alive to do so." The ghost pontificated.

"And the boy survived the killing curse," concluded Snape. "So, it's possible that's why he is able to maintain the control."

Hagrid since he hadn't finished even his Owls, was falling behind but he had a question that he didn't understand, "But how does that obscurus thing form, Harry can't have been doing spells to make it, can he?" Looking around the room to see if anyone could answer that question.

A few of the older professors hung their heads. "Hagrid," Pamona Sprout called him, "An obscurus forms when a child so represses their magic, that it has no outlet. The amount of abuse, pain and self-hatred of themselves and their magic that a child would have go through to get to the point of making one, it's" she choked on the words.

Madame Pomfrey answered for her, "Hagrid, most kids kill themselves before they get to that point."

With a roar and tears in his eyes, the gentle half-giant Hagrid threw himself across the room, trying to get at the Headmaster, it took the combined strength of every professor to hold him back, "I shouldna' listen to ya'" he bellowed, "Leas' if I gave him ter Black, it woulda' ben quick." Swiping at the air. Until Snape who carried a vial of Draught of Dreamless Sleep on him, poured it in the angry man's mouth. Normally a dosage that large would put a human down for far longer than the eight hours, and for someone Hagrid's size taken quite a while to kick in, but in his worked up emotional state the blood pumped that much faster, spreading through him and the half-giant slumped over the desk, the professor's piled on his back.

As the room settled on their thoughts, it still all came back to one question, "What do we do about Harry now?" asked Flitwick.

Albus, knowing that the professors were unlikely to listen to him, still answered. "If he is an obscurial he is too dangerous to attend Hogwarts, we cannot teach him to control his magic with that thing inside him."

Pomfrey was incensed. "Not knowing how to control his magic led him to this point, of course Harry has to come to Hogwarts, if you truly think him that dangerous than one day that thing, as you said will form around muggles." She berated him, "Then what will happen, the entire statute of secrecy is blown. Despite how much danger that child poses to everyone around him, somehow, he seems to control that thing."

"Which is why I agreed to treat him," Poppy finished before storming out of the room, the shadow of Snape following her.

"I will not be part of killing a child Albus," the charms professor tone low, a difference to his normally high pitched and happy voice. "After the fall of the Dark Lord, you changed, whatever it is, I hope it's worth it." He trotted out whipping his wand into a very strong levitation charm to take the sleeping groundskeeper with him.

The rest of the professors slowly left as a group, Trelawney the schools divinations professor, "I don't need to see the future to tell that you will have a hard time earning their trust with your schemes, the one you have built to trap the Dark Lord, may be the last time they help you." Until her drunken lidded eyes slipped shut and she sauntered her way back to her tower.

Albus put his head in his hands. He had much to think about.

* * *

As Snape caught up to the angry nurse, he rounded on her, "I don't like being tricked into helping _his_ son." Poppy who had just been coming down from tearing into the professor, was not amused at what she hoped was just Snape's normal brashness coloring his words.

"Then don't think of it as helping _his_ son, you are helping _her_ baby boy." She turned his angry of the past back on him, "If you saw the state that child was in, no one could have put him and James as being even distantly related." She pulled a scroll out of a hidden pocket on her robes, she knew that keeping Mr. Potters records in her drawer wasn't the safest place in the castle and she agreed to keep this secret. Shoving the rolled parchment into his hands. "Take this to your cave and then when you finally grow up and bring me the potions I need to help fix this mistake."

As she pushed passed the irate potions master. _"Not even in the school and Potter is already receiving special treatment",_ he sneered. Heading back to his dungeon, _"When this report shows they are just blowing this all out of proportion and the brat is just weak, then we can move on to what it takes to actually solve the problem."_

Two days later Snape silently walked into the infirmary, placed a large tray of potions on Pomfrey's desk, ignoring her completely, he turned and left, leaving the faint smell of alcohol behind him.

* * *

McGonagall was furious, _"The headmaster had no business trying to take Harry back to those people. He could see how distressed the boy was and still drew his wand."_ McGonagall seethed as Dumbledore left and the obscurus floated over in front of her, reaching out to her. She instinctively held Harry closer to her, until the presence reached closer, McGonagall slowly loosened her grip on the boy, carefully watching as the shadowy form cradled the boy to its chest and floated down the hallway and into the room that Flipsy had prepared the night before.

"Flipsy," McGonagall called to her elf, with a bit of anger still in her voice. The soft pop from behind her, "Did you let Dumbledore in while I was out with Harry?"

"No Mistress, I did not let in Headmaster Dumblydore. He came in on his own, I be's asking him to leave, but he said something was wrong with Harry." The elf quickly answered, "I let him stay in case, I be's thinking you want to know."

Minerva sighed, the elf was just concerned about Harry, "It's fine that you would worry about Harry, but you seemed to have forgotten that I was with Harry today, as such something would have had to happen to me before something happened to him."

The elf looked ashamed at forgetting that simple fact. "I be's sorry Mistress McGonagall."

"It's alright Flipsy, next time please come and inform me if someone enters my house without my express permission or if the headmaster comes by, especially if Harry is home without me there."

"Flipsy be doing that mistress."

After that Flipsy set about the room fixing up the mess caused by the earlier commotion. McGonagall went to her study to begin reading some old books to calm herself down.

An hour later Flipsy popped into her office, "Mistress, Professor Flitwick be's calling you."

Minvera stormed out of her office, _"If Dumbledore thinks he can just get some other professor so come and take Harry he has another thing coming."_ She entered her living room to the fiery face of Flitwick.

With clear annoyance in her voice she acknowledged him, "Did Albus send you to talk some sense into me." She wasn't looking for a fight but if they tried to take Harry back then they would have another thing coming.

Flitwick's face looked shocked. "Absolutely not Minerva, in fact I need to come through and speak with you about him," he sounded worried.

Minerva sighed and allowed him through the floo. The much shorter professor staring up at his colleague. "Now what is it that old fool has done this time?" tapping her foot, her patience wearing thin from everything done today.

"He apparently believes young Mr. Potter to be an Obscurial."

Minerva's gasp, "That goat-buggering old fool. Of course he would immediately inform everyone of Harry's condition."

"So it is true then," Flitwick confirmed.

"Yes fine, Harry has an obscurus, but it's different." Minerva added.

Flitwick looked intrigued, "How so?"

Weighing her options and decided, "Follow me, do not under any circumstances draw your wand or make loud noises." As she quietly walked down the hall, her cat-like grace keeping the sound to a minimum, followed by the soft patter of Flitwick's quick movements, as a master duelist his movements were controlled and subtle.

Peaking their heads into the room, and saw a charming sight, the obscurus was rocking Harry back and forth, in its arms. Until it raised it's head and locked eyes with Flitwick, who carefully backed up into the hall.

When the two of them had reentered the living room, "Well?" McGonagall asked, breaking the silence.

"That is an obscurus…" he started, pausing to collect his thoughts. "But, it's not at the same time. When it looked at me, I felt very cold inside, and when Albus showed his neck you could see where it had touched him, however young Mr. Potter was being held to no ill effect."

"Yes," she agreed. "It is different than the other stories I had heard, but he is different than most people. It's like a guardian, he feels calm around him and it seems to protect him."

"Now how did you come to hear of this from Dumbledore?"

"We had a staff meeting in his office."

"Without me?" it wasn't unexpected, but it was still rude.

"Yes, we noticed it a bit late." He said ashamed that no one had bothered to get their colleague. "But Albus, I fear he has spent far too long trying to do far too much. He believes there is no cure for young Mr. Potter's condition and has a mind that," he paused.

She waited for her colleague to continue speaking, "Well," her irritation growing, "what does he think?" not really caring at the moment what her boss thought on the subject of Harry.

"He believes Harry has to die." He quickly spat out, cringing while he waited for his friend to erupt into anger. Her nearly painful laughter was not what he expected.

"That…" she gasped out, "Old fool couldn't... even... draw his wand... and he thinks... he can... kill Harry?" She grabbed her sides from the pain. Flitwick waited a minute for her mirth to die down.

"I am being serious."

Wiping a tear from her eye, "I know you are, and how did the rest of the staff think about the plot to murder a ten-year-old?" she discreetly palmed her wand.

"We think he has gone senile. And we won't have a part of it, so put away that wand Minerva." All his years of dueling making the motion of her hand a give away that she was ready for a fight.

"And?"

"If he doesn't make some major changes that little trap on the third floor will be the last time we trust him to decide the future. Regardless of if it works or not."

"So, tell me what happened at the meeting. Flipsy some refreshments."

As they talked for the next hour, sharing drinks, in Harry's room the obscurus watched over the sleeping child.

* * *

Harry woke up, no longer surprised at his surroundings. He looked up into the calming red eyes, "Good morning," then he heard a pop and a stifled gasped.

Looking over he saw Flipsy who would not make eye contact with him, "Good morning Flipsy."

Without looking up the elf replied, "Good morning Harry and happy birthday."

With a gasp Harry quickly got out of the hold his obscurus had on him, it flowing swiftly to keep up with him as he ran out into the kitchen, the elf popping in to the room. "What be's the problem."

"Not a problem, just on my birthday the Dursleys weren't as mean and I was allowed to make myself a cupcake." Harry excited to have a sweet treat he wasn't normally allowed.

Flipsy watched as he started grabbing mixing bowls, steeling her nerves to walk passed the obscurus, "Would you be's wanting a real cake this year then Harry?"

Harry froze, _"A whole cake, like Dudley got!"_ Harry quickly turned a wrapped the elf in a tight hug, "Oh Flipsy that sounds amazing, can you teach me to make a cake?" Harry knew a cake wasn't that much different than a cupcake, but he wanted his to come out right.

The elf struggled out of the grasp of the child, then straightened herself up, "I's be making the best cake in the world, just for Harry." Smiling that something so simple brought him such joy.

"And I'll help," he smiled.

Minerva hearing the rapid footsteps had followed it to the kitchen, only to see a truly wonderful sight. Harry sitting on the counter, splotched with flour, while Flipsy read off the recipe for him, Hedwig sitting on the windowsill watching.

When she saw the obscurus float by with an apron haphazardly draped on, she fell into a fit of giggles.

Harry looked over as he was mixing the bowl of ingredients. And saw McGonagall on her knees. "We're making a birthday cake." Showing the bowl to her.

"And here I was thinking you were playing, cover everything in flour." She joked. Harry with wide eyes looked around and sheepishly apologized.

"Oh, it's nothing that can't be cleaned up. Now for your birthday how would you like to learn some spells with your new wand."

Harry's eyes lit up, _"I get a cake and I get to learn magic, this is the best birthday, EVER!"_ He nodded enthusiastically.

When Flipsy placed the cake pan into the oven, Harry rushed to go and collect his wand. The obscurus remained floating in the kitchen, which left Flipsy feeling a little uncomfortable, when it slowly reached over she tensed up. Until the creature simply pat her on the head and took off after the boy.

Letting go of her held breath, she decided that so long as the creature looked after the young boy she could tolerate its presence, for Harry.

Harry scrambled to wash himself up and grabbed the reddish-brown wand. He was in the living room in mere minutes of being offered.

Minerva watched as the boy skidded into the room, the Obscurus hot on his trail. _"It's not normally this active, what changed?"_

Turning back to the boy who was nearly vibrating with excitement. "Now the first charm I am going to teach you is called Tempus, it tells the time." She held her wand tip up at eye level, and firmly cast the spell. "See easy as that, and it's a very useful charm to know"

Harry eye's filled with determination, he wanted to do proper magic so badly, to impress McGonagall, who was teaching him. Holding his wand just as McGonagall did he spoke the spell, "Tempus". Seeing the floating numbers to show him the time his face lit up in excitement and joy, "I did it, I did my first spell." He bounced on his heels.

His face drooped as he saw his friend flicker in pain, dropping his wand on the floor he rushed over, "Are you ok," he panicked, grabbing the shadowy hand, "What's wrong?"

The form solidified again, overcoming whatever caused it pain. It merged back with Harry, who was scared, "What wrong with her?" He cried to McGonagall.

"I don't know child." She may not like the creature, but it was something that Harry cared about, so he would obviously be concerned when something changed. "I will have to ask my colleagues about it later."

Wiping the tears that were forming in his eyes, he thanked her.

"Do you think I hurt her?"

"I don't see how what you did could have. Would you like to learn another spell?"

Harry shook his head, the earlier excitement of magic far from his mind. Minerva was disheartened, she had finally made progress with the boy and then something had to keep coming up to knock him back down. "How about you go see if Flipsy will make some tea, I have to go somewhere and check on some... things."

Harry glumly responded to her request and quietly left the room. Rushing over to the floo and grabbing some powder, "Charms office." And stepped through the flames.

Fillius had not expected to see Minerva so soon after last night, her rushing into his office with not so much as a good morning had him concerned. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I need you to check my charm work," she requested.

The charms professor was confused, "What charm were you performing that you need my advice on," understanding that while not a charms master, Minerva was no slouch at it either. _"It must be some very advanced charm if she is that concerned."_

"Just can you make sure I did nothing wrong?" she asked again.

"Fine go ahead, should I put up a shield in case something dangerous happens?"

Minerva shook her head and performed the time keeping charm. Then she looked to Flitwick for an answer.

The professor looked at her wand, and then back to her, "Minerva if this is some sort of prank, I don't understand it."

"Not a prank, did I do anything different or wrong when I cast this spell?"

"No and I don't see how you could have, there is no movement and it's one of the simplest incantations. Why on earth you would need me to correct this I don't know."

"Because I taught it to Harry."

"And... I know that classes are not in session however I fully believe you capable of teaching so basic a charm."

"Here's the problem, he did the same thing I did, almost mirrored it, but got a different result."

Now that confused and intrigued the small man, "What was his result?"

"It showed the time and then the obscurus was in pain."

Flitwick was stunned, "I want another opinion," he pulled out his own wand and summoned his patronus, a mole, which flew through the halls. It was a short wait before Septima Vector walked into his office.

"What do you mean, the Tempus charm hurt the obscurus," she shouted as she walked in, a little out breath from running from her office up to Flitwick's.

"Minerva if you would." He motioned to the stoic transfiguration teacher.

"Being that it is Harry's birthday I decided that I would teach him some basic spells, Tempus being one of them."

"And?" said the very excited arithmancer.

"He performed wonderfully," looking back to Flitwick, "If this one spell was an indication, I hope I'm not getting to ahead of myself in saying he may be just like his mother."

Flitwick was ecstatic, he so enjoyed teaching the late Mrs. Potter, if her son was anything like her, he would enjoy this next year very much. "But why would the simple charm hurt something as powerful as an obscurus?" he asked.

Professor Vector pondered that for a moment. "This is just a guess," she started, emphasizing guess. "An Obscurus forms when a child represses and hates their magic."

She thought again, "What was Harry's emotional state, just before the spell?"

Minerva recalled it clearly, "He was so very excited and happy to be doing magic, his hair was still a wet mess from running in after washing," she sighed, "Just like James would do before his first classes."

"Well that might be it, if he's happy to use his magic, then the Obscurus should disappear given enough time."

Flitwick looked over, "Could it really be that easy, just let them use their magic?"

"It's the only theory that I have, besides the less likely one of the timekeeping charm being a secret combat spell against an Obscurus, if that were true then you might be able to kill a dementor with a scourgify." She joked.

"What seems to be the problem Minerva," Flitwick asked. "I thought you would be happy to see that thing gone, it shows how much good we are doing for mister Potter."

Minerva shook her head, "You should have seen Harry though, he looked so scared and out of his depth, he practically begged me to fix it. Now what do I tell him? If you come to Hogwarts to learn magic, the one thing you called friend for Merlin knows how long will die and it looked to be a painful way to go. What do you think his reaction will be then?"

"Oh dear, he won't want to learn magic at all then." Flitwick realized the predicament. "But he is coming to Hogwarts, so he'll have to learn magic, which he will then hate because it hurts his friend. I see, that is quite the conundrum."

"But if we can get him to practice magic then the Obscurus will go away and he won't be in danger of dying from it," Septima retorted.

"He spent so long with that I'm not worried in the slightest of it being any sort of danger to that boy." Minerva responded. "How do I explain to him the need to do this in a way an emotionally damaged eleven-year-old can understand, when I barely understand the situation he is in?"

"I don't know Minerva, I just don't know."

* * *

When Minerva returned from Hogwarts, Harry was sitting depressed on the sofa, his eyes puffy and red from crying. "Harry is everything all right?" she sat down in the chair across from him.

Harry shook his head. "No," his voice cracking, "She won't come out, even if I ask her to." Wiping his face with his arm.

" _Do I tell him the truth or try to tell a convenient lie."_. Minerva looked at the child, "Harry I went and talked to some of the other professors." Harry came alive, rushing over to her.

"Did they find a way to help her?" his begged for good news. "Please I'll do anything to help her."

" _I can't, I don't know what to do."_ Minerva looked for anything to provide her a moment to think. "It's your," she started. "We don't know yet, but we will find out." Harry looked dejected. "How about some cake though, that should cheer you up."

Harry slowly made his way to the dining room, where once he was out of sight, Minerva slumped into her chair. _"Oh, how low have I sunk, I can't even be honest with the boy, I'm too scared of what h_ _is reaction will be_ _."_

The rest of the day was somber, despite the joyous morning. Minerva had restless sleep as she worried about the boy down the hall from her.

* * *

When Minerva woke up on August 1, she wearily made her way into the dining room. She saw Harry sitting at the table eating a bowl of oatmeal, _"He looks like he got even less sleep than I did. This is tearing him up, how can I tell him that using his magic will eventually kill his obscurus."_

She stared down her plate of food that Flipsy had placed in front of her. She didn't have much of an appetite.

Around noon the fireplace flared to life and the head of the school nurse popped out, "The potions are ready, is now a good time to start?"

"As good a time as any it would seem." She answered.

The mood Madame Pomfrey stepped into was very different than what she expected, setting her bag down on the coffee table. "Is something wrong, you seem, well you look like shite." She bluntly stated.

"I feel like it too," she shot back.

"What seems to be the problem," the nurse asked.

"It's the obscurus, it was hurt the other day."

"Really," this information shocked the nurse. "What could possibly hurt that thing. Is Harry alright?" she quickly added.

"He's fine, it's just," Minerva confided in her friend. "When he did magic, the thing was hurt."

"What were you teaching that boy?" she stepped back.

"A basic charm for his birthday," Minerva told her of how the days morning went.

"Then you must have some idea of what the cause is, right?"

"I spoke with Flitwick and Vector, they concurred that, when Harry uses his magic, it in a way unrepresses it. Which is the antithesis of how he became an Obscurial." She explained. "He's unmaking it, by fixing himself. And I don't know how to tell him."

A gasp from the hallway and then the sound of rapid footsteps heading away from the room, Minerva shot to the door. "Flipsy" she called the elf.

"I be's sorry mistress, Harry was eavesdropping but told me not to be telling you."

"Oh Merlin, he heard me say everything then didn't he." The elf's sad nod was all the warning she got before the door leading outside slammed shut.

She ran across the house and flung open the door, "Harry!" she shouted. The boy stopped and looked at her, then turned and ran. Straight into the forbidden forest that stretched all the way from the castle to the length of Hogsmeade. "HARRY" this time screaming, "STOP DON'T GO IN THERE". But he didn't listen and disappeared into the thick trees.

McGonagall already running after him, pulling up the hem of her nightgown, "Flipsy."

"Yes Mistress,"

"Go to the castle, tell all the professors that Harry ran into the forbidden forest, wake them up if you have to. He can't go in there on his own."

"Right away mistress." As the elf popped away.

Pomfrey seeing the potential outcome, flooed back to her office to prepare the infirmary for a worst-case scenario.

Harry was crashing through the undergrowth. He had to get away, it didn't matter, being here, in the magical world was going to kill his friend. He couldn't let that happen. Brushing through thick strands of spiderwebs, Harry pressed onward into the increasingly darkening forest.

Shapes creeping among the treetops.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey y'all it's Chapter 4.

I hope I have made the obscurus believable, how it forms, why it's different and in a way bashed some heads for being stupid and petty, but Dumbledore is right, the Horcrux is playing a bigger role in Harry's development than in Canon, how could it not. So for those that may have already figured it out the Horcrux is going to affect more of Harry's subconscious state. And as a result had a hand in forming an obscurus that wouldn't destroy the host, not that it chose to protect Harry, but it is protecting it's vessel, because it doesn't understand that it is a living person either.

So yes, Dumbledore, is sorta right an Obscurus would normally be the death knell to a magical child, but he knows that Harry is different and he always did plan that Harry would need to die at some point for Voldemort to truly be gone. Since in canon it is never explained WHEN Albus knew of the existence of Horcruxes but he did know that Slughorn would know, so the question is when did he know of them and some choose for him to know after Harry gives the diary in his second year. But he would have had suspicions of Harry long before that.

So addressing a few things.

I can write what Snape was doing for those two days before turning over the potions, it's not much really but it will explain more of his reticence to be a shitheel to Harry at the start like he was. If people want it, otherwise I could leave it up to the readers to decide how he spent those two days.

I tried to make this cutesy with the Obscurus, especially on Harry's birthday, so I hope people liked and could imagine that scene.

I expect people to have figured out what the Obscurus form is beginning to look like, which will make it that much more heartbreaking later.

Now it's time for Review Review, the part of the story where I come down like an angel of mercy and acknlowedge your plebian comments and try to give as vague as possible information to neither confirm nor deny your worst fears. Let's Begin

Coduss, yeah, I stand by that Dumbledore isn't evil as he doesn't want Harry to die, he just knows that if he's a Horcrux then Voldemort is still alive and will continue to live as long as the Horcruxes are around.

The problem Dumbledore has is that he is old, he isn't as capable as accepting new ideas as the younger professors are so he closes off to suggestions that don't fit with his current knowledge. So I hope that this chapter assuages the idea that the teachers are going to go along with it. Snape is questionable, he was a death eater and I very much doubt their initiation is something like Edward 40 Hands, it was probably, "Kill and torture these muggles and then Edward 40 Hands"

So in this Snape is always going to be questionable even though I am more biased by his past that never gets explained. But I'll be fair.

Millie072 I went back and you are right the second paragraph in the first chapter is just one long sentence, now I feel like I did something wrong. But it's too late to fix, I could but what would be the point now.

Yes, I will be exploring Minerva's history, over time, I will provide more insight into the histories of characters for events that I believe would have had to happen.

Guest, the Scottish wasn't really meant to be read, just understood the tone, but if you say the words out loud, it's easy to know what she is saying to Petunia. Hint it's not very nice.

As for the Harem, I agreed that in the vote it was 5+, so you are right that I have heavily hinted at Fleur and Susan, but the Harem itself won't really get going until like mid fourth year anyway, first he needs to make friends. Which I see is a weakness of quite a few Harem stories, they fall in love, but you never see them become friends or do anything together to strengthen those feelings, there is usually a scene where the girls all decide to share, but I plan to do different, the girls are going to hang out and spend time with Harry and each other before anyone can make some confession.

Yes there will be a Slytherin, I am not sure if it will be Daphne though. Hermione will be a definite maybe, I want to find a way to justify Tonks, but canon events make it weird for her to be more than just a friend with benefits if that was a thing. With her being a seventh year and then joining the aurors, but maybe, I could. Yup I got something, it might be weird but it's a way to get Harry around Tonks longer than his first, her seventh year. That should bleed into second year and then Third year is the execution of it. That, should work quite nicely.

Oh Sirius Black you useful little so and so. I can't wait to get to third year.

Kyle Yes I hope this chapter delved more into my theory of Obscurials and Obscurus. Yes the Obscurus did protect Harry from the Dursleys when they would start to go too far, but since harry couldn't completely control when it came out they would get away with far more than they would if he had control over it.

Oh I have ideas but I do need to get started on the USJ arc for Magician's Secret, for the people who read both, I haven't forgotten. I will work on it this week.

Remember leave Brutal Reviews.


	5. Chapter 5 - Spiders, Giants and Strokes

Puffing and crashing through the underbrush the small eleven-year-old boy kept running, his face and body getting scraped up by the broken and stiff branches. Despite the dark of the forest in the early morning sun the boy wasn't scared, he was used to the dark and musky smell having spent his life in the cupboard.

He wasn't concerned when he burst through a massive cobweb, spiders were his friends, they shared him room and kept him company, like little roommates, so as Harry pushed in deeper into the forest the presence of ever thickening strands was not a worry for the boy as it would have for others.

* * *

The Hogwarts staff was incensed, they had just been woken up much to early only to hear that the child that was on so many of their discussions was in one of the most dangerous places he could be, alone.

"Hagrid, you know the forest better than any of us, find the centaurs and ask if they have seen young Harry and to help us look for him if they are willing." Dumbledore spoke authoritatively, taking charge of the situation.

"The rest of you spread out in the direction he ran, stay with one other, the forest is dangerous even to us," Dumbledore hobbled into the forest, "Minerva has a head start tracking the boy from Hogsmeade."

"Shouldn't we gather some residents, I'm sure they would do anything for their precious Boy-Who-Lived," sneered the potions professor. He said while he entered the forest his cape billowing behind him.

"As I am sure they would, however." Dumbledore ducked branch, "How would that look if we managed to lose young Harry before he was even a student Severus?"

"Yes, it would be most," Snape drawled. "Embarrassing."

"However, some good may come of this." Dumbledore postulated. His age making his progress through the dense thicket slower than the spryer Snape.

"Oh, do tell," Snape sarcastically responded, "How could losing the boy have a bright side, besides ridding us of another Potter."

"Oh, don't be like that Severus," Dumbledore offhandedly dismissed his compatriots tone. "What I mean is the boy may meet his end in these woods and then it's no longer our issue to deal with the Obscurus."

Snape paused in his walking, "Then you were serious when you spoke of the boy needing to die?" He shuffled quickly to catch back up to the headmaster.

"Of course I was Severus," The headmaster shot back, "What gave you the impression I wasn't gravely concerned about this disastrous news?"

Snape pushed ahead of the old man until he was standing in front of him, "I had assumed it was your normally weird attempt at humor. But you actually want the boy dead."

"I don't want him dead, he just needs to die, those are two very different things Severus," Dumbledore was offended, "I don't want children to die, we both saw too much of that in our lives."

Snape did agree, even if he had taken the lives of some of those children, Dumbledore continued, "However, I know that Harry is not like normal children, he was never fated to have a normal life. His is a life filled with sacrifice, and I am afraid he still has more to give before the nightmare can truly end."

Snape was shocked out of his silence by the headmaster's seriousness, "So you really do truly believe the Dark Lord is not vanquished?"

"Beaten, yes, Recovering, yes, vanquished, absolutely not." Dumbledore continued onward.

Snape was stammering, "Then why have you not gotten your pet minister to continue the hunt, surely whatever the boy did to the Dark Lord should have been enough to weaken him so that another could strike him down?"

Dumbledore sighed, _"It is so difficult to explain this to people who just won't understand."_ , "Severus, it is not that simple, even in his weakened state he is still more dangerous than all but the most powerful of witches and wizards," Dumbledore grumbled.

"But you were someone he feared and if he's weaker surely you can…"

"I do not know where he is, I just know he is weakened and that is why I set the trap for this year. He doesn't have much longer before his current form would be to unstable to come back, he will have to do something drastic to sustain him."

"So, all of those defenses on the third floor are…"

"To trap and weaken him further, so that we can safely dispose of him once and for all."

"Then WHY in Merlin's name does the boy have to die!" Snape shouted.

"Because the boy is not just Harry anymore, he never was." Dumbledore stated, exasperated at the current situation and being questioned so much.

"Are you being deliberately obtuse, or have you finally slipped into senility?" Snape jested.

"Severus, I have never been more clear headed in my life." Dumbledore was tired, "I truly wished that things had been different, maybe if we could have gone back, been better people," he sighed, "But that's now how it works, we made mistakes and we have kept making them and with hope they end with young Harry."

"Well I won't be part of killing the boy," Snape snapped.

"I wouldn't expect you to, the boy will most likely not survive the year," Dumbledore pondered, "Based on the strength of his Obscurus, he will pass sometime around the end of term at the latest."

"Why are you so sure that thing will be the death of him?"

"I saw the effects of it first hand, it destroys the body, weakening it, the host will have no reason to live, they will just give up and then the Obscurus will be unleashed for a while, dissipating when the body has died." Dumbledore stumbled over a branch, "It is a cruel fate for anyone to have held onto such pain and to see it unleashed as the last thing you see, I truly do wish it was different, but it is inevitable."

"If you are so sure, then it is up to you, to make sure his last year is his best, he deserves that much." Snape swiftly walked away, spreading himself further from the headmaster.

* * *

"HARRY!", Minerva called out, "Please come back, it's not safe here." She pushed deeper into the forest. "We can talk this out, we'll find a way to help the obscurus"

Hearing no reply, she pressed onward. _"Oh, why couldn't he have run from Hagrid, at least he knows how to track."_ Minerva was distressed, Harry was fast, even in a malnourished body he was much faster than the fifty-six-year-old woman, and his small size he would be easily capable of hiding from her.

Hearing the pop and the patter of small feet, she knew her house elf had returned, "Flipsy bes waking up professors, they moving quickly." The small elf hopped over a fallen branch.

"Can't you pop to him like the other students?" Minerva huffed out.

Shaking her head, "Flipsy bes sorry, but young Harry is not a student yet and he's not a member of the house so I cannot be's popping to him."

Mentally shrieking to herself, "Ok what can we do then, because running through the forest is not going to work, he'll find something that wants to eat him much sooner than we will."

"Ifs we had his clothes Flipsy could be bringing them to mister Haggyrid's beasty." Flipsy offered.

"Beasty?" Minerva thought for a second, "Fang, of course, that great useless dog of his. Brilliant idea Flipsy."

Hearing the pop meant the elf was on the way to do just that.

* * *

As Hagrid and Fang pushed deeper into the woods, he carried his crossbow, he had just checked up with Firenze about the boy's disappearance, they had not seen him and the only advice he had gotten from the centaurs was that, "The planets are choosing sides, Pluto has made a decree that the others do not agree with. These will be troubling times, until Venus makes her decision."

Hagrid was never one much for Divination and Astrology, but he did know that if the centaurs were worried he should be too. As Hagrid and his loyal hound headed deeper into the forest, he heard the all too familiar pop of a house elf.

"Mister Haggyrid," Flipsy called out to the extremely large, compared to her, man.

Hagrid looked down at the squeaky voice, "Well hello there," he bellowed his deep voice to her.

"I bes bringing some of Harry's clothes for your beasty to smell." Flipsy hung out a shirt Harry had worn the previous day to the slobbering Fang.

"Now there's an idea," Hagrid patted Fang on his haunches, "Go on ya mutt, have a wiff."

Fang smelled the fabric deeply, before sniffing the ground, and heading off in a direction. "Well now, seems he's got the scent, thank ye, now you run along to the other perfessors and tell'm that I'll little Harry back faster'n you can answer a Sphinx' riddle."

Flipsy was not entirely sure about letting Hagrid go alone, but she went to inform the other professors that Hagrid was tracking Harry. Which relieved fewer than she had hoped. They knew Hagrid was a nice man, but not the best suited to assuaging the fears of a scared child.

* * *

Harry leaned against a fallen log, he was sure he was far enough away from McGonagall now, "She's nice but I won't let her hurt you." He said out loud, never really knowing if the obscurus could hear him or not.

"But what about us." Came a slow voice from behind him. Harry stumbled back away from the log as a truly massive spider crept up from behind it. It was easily the size of station wagon.

He was surprised, so he watched the spider as it came forward, "My children have been watching you," he gasped out. As the spiders descended from the tree top.

"Oh hello," Harry happily chirped. "I'm Harry, who are you?"

Puzzled, he motioned for his children to hold off a moment, "You speak to me without fear young one," he stood up to his full impressive height. "That is rare for food such as yourself. But it would be rude not to introduce myself wouldn't it. I am Aragog."

"Hello Aragog," Harry looked around seeing the small army of giant spiders watching him.

"Why do you not fear us? Most our human prey is screaming when we come upon them." The great spider asked.

"Oh, I've spent years around spiders, I've talked to them a lot in my cupboard," Harry started picking up a strand of cobweb. "You're the first one who talked back though, not like snakes."

Aragog stepped back, "What do you mean, not like snakes?" the tone of his voice laced with venom, almost literally.

"All snakes talk, mostly about food or mating," Harry answered. "Rarely have something interesting to say, though this one at the zoo just wanted to go home." Harry grimaced at remembering why he was locked in the cupboard.

"You." The giant arachnid snarled. "You are a speaker," Harry stepped back at the anger, the circle of spiders surrounding him moving to keep him in the center. "You are like the one from before who let out the monster."

"What monster?" Harry asked, clutching his wand in his pocket, he now realized how dangerous it was to be here.

"The beast that kills with a look, the one we fear." Aragog prowled closer to the scared boy. "You are one of them, you are our enemy, you must be destroyed."

"But I didn't do anything," Harry turned with a spider was getting closer to him.

"It matters not, you are the biggest threat to our survival." Aragon prepared to pounce on the boy.

"HARRY, there ye are." Hagrid lumbered in, "OH I see you met Aragog," turning to the large spider, "How's the Missus?" he asked, not noticing the tension.

"Help," Harry pulled himself closer to the giant man, "They're going to eat me."

"Ahh none of that, Aragog you know you can't eat the students." Hagrid huffed.

"He is not a student, he is like the one before," Aragog responded, the boy so close to the half-giant made the other spiders pause, they were told not to attack Hagrid but the food was right there.

"The one before?" Hagrid scratched his head. Looking down at the boy, "You met Aragog before?" Harry rapidly shook his head.

"NO!" shouted the spider, "The one who killed the girl and blamed you, with the monster."

"That Chamber nonsense." Hagrid worked out, "You never told me what the monster was, you mean Harry did that?" Confused because he could have sworn that Harry wasn't even born at the time, he didn't even think James was neither.

"No but the food commands the beast just the same," Aragog growing fed up with the discussion, "If we devour the boy now, then we will be safe, you will be safe."

Harry looked up in fear, _"Is this big man going to feed me to the spiders. He watched spiders eat their food, it looked like it took a long time."_ Harry tugged on the giant's coat, tears in his eyes, he begged. "Please, I don't want to be eaten, I don't want to die."

Hagrid looked at the boy he had failed once, how small and fragile he seemed, standing next to him and grabbing on the hem of his coat. "I can't let you eat him Aragog," Hagrid picked up the child and cradled him.

The spiders held firm and blocked his exit. "I cannot let you leave with the boy Hagrid, you are my friend, but he will kill all of my children. If we must, we will hurt you." The spiders chittered threateningly at him.

Harry tugged on the sleeve of the giant man's coat. "It's okay, you can leave me here, I'm not worth it. You can save yourself." Harry resigned himself to his fate.

Hagrid was stunned this young boy was going to sacrifice himself just, so he could leave, this wee little child was more concerned about his own safety that he would die for someone he just met. "NO!" he bellowed once more, the boy flinched at the thunderous sound. The spiders stepped back at the outrage. "You will not sacrifice yourself, just so I can be safe. I messed up when you were a wee baby and now I can do my best to make up fer it." Hagrid held on to the small boy with a tight grip and charged, barreling over the spiders that were in his way, their number not enough to stop the muscled mass of a determined half-giant.

The spiders raced after the three, Fang sprinting on ahead and out of the forest, Hagrid who on two feet and had considerable more weight on him, was much slower. The spiders who raced along the tree top a few launching themselves at the running giant, biting him with their venom laced chelicerae. Biting into him and clawing at where ever flesh was exposed.

Harry in the motion and sounds, crying in fear. Hagrid did everything he could to keep the spiders from getting to the distressed child, smacking and batting away with immense force the arachnids that clambered his body to get to the child.

As he began crashing through the forest, he clipped a tree when he couldn't see for a spider climbing over his head, sending the two of them tumbling to the ground. Before Hagrid could grab the small child, spiders dragged him away, pinning him. They wouldn't eat Hagrid, but Aragog did say to hurt him if he tried to stop them.

The boy frantically looked around only to see a sea of eight legged monstrosities closing in on him.

"No, please don't eat the boy." Hagrid begged the spiders, the venom they had injected him with coupled with his blood flowing rapidly through his body meant it was slowing him down and weakening him.

The chittering spiders ignored the weeping half-giant, their food only meters away from them. "No, go away, I don't want to be food." Harry scrambled back, a line of web grabbed his ankle and dragged him closer to another spider's awaiting jaws.

As the spider dove forward to sink it's fangs into the child it was hit with a searing flame, "Git back ye hairy monster," Minerva howled as she flung more fire into the crowd of arachnids. Her hellish onslaught of fire driving the herd back. She reached out her hand towards the child her ran into its comfort.

When she turned to transfigure the webbing that kept Hagrid immobilized, some spiders rushed at the opening, only to be sliced in half as the twin casts of a light cutting charm and a dark cutting curse worked in tandem to mince the approaching arachnids.

Severus and Filius worked in frightening unity flinging dangerous magics at the army of spiders. A dueling master and one of the Dark Lords most trusted servants, made for a frightening sight to behold. Precision and purpose powered the two's spells, felling a score of the creatures in moments.

The spiders realizing, they were outmatched retreated to their home deeper into the forest.

When the threat had passed, Minerva looked at the boy clinging to her robes for safety, she prepared to apologize but he was faster.

"I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean to run away, I was scared, and I didn't know about the spiders." Harry babbled. Minerva shooshed and stroked the boy's hair.

"It's okay Harry, I should have been more upfront with you," Minerva taking the blame from the child, "I never should have tried to hide it from you and this isn't your fault, you couldn't have known what was in the forest and I should have done more to protect you." She picked up the whimpering child and carried him out of the forest and towards the castle.

* * *

Hagrid lumbered slowly with Snape and Flitwick who quickly but carefully made their way out covering their backs. "So Hagrid, how did you know where to find him?" the charms professor asked.

Hagrid stared at the ground in shame, "When Fang got his scent after a while of travel I knew the only thing that Harry would run into would be Aragog, so I went to get him back."

"Ah yes, your pet spider, now why exactly were they so adamant to get the boy." Sneered the potions professor.

"They were gonna eat him, I had to get him away." Hagrid defended himself.

"Surely this isn't the first time a student has run afoul of the acromantula colony?" Flitwick inquired.

Hagrid shook his head, "No, normally, Dumbledore would just give me a few cows to bring to his family, so they send back any students instead of eating them. Aragog knows what would happen if his children ate one of them." Knowing that the ministry would send in the aurors and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to clean out and exterminate them all, he shivered at the thought of how much someone like Macnair would enjoy killing them all.

"So why not send the boy back, unless he did something to so greatly offend them," Snape questioned, "it could just be his natural Potter charm." He jested.

"Oi, the Potters were the nicest people I…" Hagrid started, he never liked that Snape didn't like the Potters.

"Not that I don't want to hear this riveting argument about the Potters again," Flitwick sarcastically replied. _"It's every Halloween, Hagrid blubbers about his friends and Snape eggs him on with snide remarks about James."_ He continued, "But Severus has a point beyond his disdain for the late mister Potter, why did Aragog decide that he would risk the colony to kill young mister Potter?"

Hagrid thought back to the conversation from earlier, "I didn't understand it all, but he kept saying that Harry was like "the one from before"," he answered. "Aragog seemed to think he was like the one who started that Chamber of Secret stuff back when I was a student."

Snape froze in his step but quickly corrected and rematches pace, _"He's like the Dark Lord, what does that mean, is the Potter boy the rightful Heir of Slytherin?"_

"Oh that chamber nonsense," Flitwick chirped. "We never did figure that out did we?", he answered his jovial nature belying the true threat that was the death of Myrtle Warren. "Hagrid you know you're bleeding quite a bit."

"Aye, got bit a few times by the spiders, keepin em from gittin ter Harry." The half-giant blearily said.

"Then come with me to dungeon I keep some anti-venom in the cabinet." Snape offered. "Then you can tell Dumbledore about what you found, and he'll decide what to do about the acromantula."

"Nah I don't need ter do that." Hagrid disagreed.

"If they didn't try so hard to get at young mister Potter, I would agree," Flitwick contradicted, "But since they now decided that they would eat this not-just-yet student, we have to consult Dumbledore incase action needs to be taken. For the safety of the students."

Flitwick saw how downtrodden his friend became at those words, so offered more in an attempt to cheer him up, "He might just want to have you help them relocate to somewhere further from the castle, for everyone's safety."

"Aye, that might be fer the best."

* * *

McGonagall took Harry straight to the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey ready and waiting to provide whatever treatment is necessary. She bustled over and took Harry out of the professor's arms and placed him firmly on an examination table.

"Harry," she said, leaning over him. The boy shrank under her gaze. "What were you thinking, running into the forest on your own."

Harry started apologizing to the nurse, until Minerva smacked her arm, "None of that Poppy, the boy did nothing wrong, it was on us for having that conversation in the first place without him."

Huffing to herself, "Fine, let me get a look at you," she pulled out her wand and started waving it around the boy, "So what did he get up to?" she asked her patient.

"Giant spiders." Harry sheepishly answered. Poppy looked aghast, turning to her colleague for more explanation.

"It seemed that Harry had run into the acromantula colony in the forest, Hagrid barely got him out." She answered the gaze.

"Did any of them bite you?" Harry shook his head at the question.

"But they did bite the really big guy a few times," Harry responded. Poppy looked at her colleague once more.

"And where is our groundskeeper?" she questioned.

Minerva sighed, "Hagrid went with Snape to the dungeons, no doubt to get some anti-venom."

"Ugh, men." The nurse snorted, "Can't just come to me when they have any injuries, no they go to each other to get patched up. Not like I'm qualified to treat them for just about anything they have. Can't show any weakness to old Pomfrey." She ranted, thinking about past events where her male colleagues would go long periods of time with injuries and illnesses before finally coming to see her. She wasn't sure who was the worst about it, Snape, Hagrid or Dumbledore.

Harry sat quietly on the bed, watching the nurse mend his cuts and scrapes. "And then there's you. Your father was in here so much I was about ready to put a bed on reservation for him. And now I have another Potter in here, before he even started his first year, is it going to be a tradition with you?" she eyed him suspiciously.

Harry could only apologize again. "Well as long as you come see me when you have problems, I won't mind it too much, I know quite a few students who go on for far too long with something easily treatable, like the twins."

Reaching around to her bag, "Since I have you here, we can get your potions started now. I'll want to keep you overnight to monitor your reactions thought, these are very strong."

Harry nodded in acceptance.

"We do need to discuss some very important things though Harry." Minerva added, "About this morning." Harry looked down in shame, "It was wrong for us to have that talk without you. It's your obscurus and us trying to trick you isn't fair."

"But if I learn magic like you want, she'll die." Harry quietly spoke.

Minerva sat next to the boy, "Harry, if you don't learn to channel your magic, you will die."

"But I've been fine for now," Harry countered.

McGonagall hadn't prepared for any resistance to the idea of learning magic, but Madam Pomfrey was better prepared for delivering bad news. "Harry, we don't know how long, but we do know that if you don't begin using your magic, you will eventually die, and _she'll_ ," confused at referring to the obscurus in such a personal manner, "will die with you." Harry whimpered at the thought, she felt bad about going for such a low blow but she knew she had to do it.

"And it won't just be her that dies with you," shocking the boy. "When an Obscurial, who is a person that represses their magic, that's you, begins to die," she motioned with her hands, "The obscurus forms and rampages."

"What," Harry sniffled, "What does that mean?"

Minerva reentered the conversation, "During the forties, an obscurus formed in MACUSA, the wizarding government of the Americas, and hundreds died before it stopped."

Harry squeaked, "So I'm going to kill a lot of people." He didn't like that.

"Merlin no," Minerva gasped. "That is why we want you to learn how to use magic, we think that using your magic will undo some of the damage that repressing your magic has done to you."

"But she has to die." Harry concluded, it always came back to his friend dying.

"Harry," Poppy softly whispered, "Don't think of it as her dying, she's your magic manifesting, she'll always be with you, just not like before. Do you understand?"

Harry weakly nodded. "Sorta, if I learn magic she goes away sorta, but if I don't I'll die and everyone around me will die too." Harry hopped off the bed, then threw a tantrum. "It's not fair," he shrieked. "The one person who was always there for me has to die so I can live." He knocked over a stand next to the bed, spilling what was on top around the floor, breaking glass. "Why is everyone so hellbent on dying for me, first my mum and dad, then you," he jabbed his finger at McGonagall, "Then that big guy, now she has to die for me to live." He inhaled deeply before letting out a ferocious scream, in his highly volatile state his magic slipped and blew out the windows of the room, throwing items everywhere.

"It's not fair." He sniffled, before climbing back up to the bed and curling into a shivering ball.

* * *

July 30th, #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surry.

A short rapping on the door, followed by the sound of it creaking open. "Youuuuu," the horse faced woman snarled out, "Took my sister from me and now what, you want my son, my husband. When is it going to be enough for you."

"Hello, _Petunia_ ", drawled the tired potions professor to his old neighbor. "I have come to talk."

"Oh really, you haven't bothered to talk to me ever and I haven't seen hide nor hair of your greasy head since she was sixteen." She spat back at him, but not slamming the door on him.

"Yes, Lily and I had a," he paused, remembering his mistakes of the past. "Falling out."

"Yeah I remember called her a dirtblood or something and she ran into the arms of that Potter boy." She cackled at him, she was somewhat aware of what went on at Hogwarts from the letters her sister would send back and from when she'd be home for the holidays.

"Yes, a _dirt blood_ " he felt no need to correct her, he was hoping this would take as little time as possible.

"Well that woman already came and got the brat, just like when she took Lily from me," Petunia snapped. "So what do you want to talk about then Severus?" She stepped out of the way so she wasn't talking to the robed man on her doorstep.

He seemed to float in like a vampire and moved to the couch, it was a Tuesday, so she was home alone while precious Dudders and Vernon were at school and work respectively.

"I only have normal tea, so it won't sing at you or tell you your future like you might be used to." She sniped at him.

"Mmmmm, that's alright." Snape answered taking in the room, it was spotless, the room was so cleaned it looked fake, "I was hoping to be out of here in just a moment." Seeing the picture frames on the wall, _"Not a single one with the brat in it."_

Petunia came back in with a cup of tea for herself, "So what brings you here, let's try to make this as quick as we can." Her patience for Severus only that much more than for a house fire.

"I have been asked to make potions," he saw the older woman flinch, _"The mere mention of something as detached from magic as potions and she can barely tolerate it."_ He coughed, "particularly powerful ones, of a healing nature."

Petunia quirked an eyebrow, "And what pray tell required you to come to me of all people, don't you have some other bats in the belfry you could bother?"

"The potions, are for your nephew," he droned on, "It would seem our school nurse thinks that he's been terribly abused." He watched the woman scan the room, frantically searching for something. "Now I know you were never the nicest person, I wasn't either, but," he pulled out the scroll with Harry's injuries listed on them. "This seems excessive, nearly every bone broken at least once, effects of long term starvation, eye sight degraded due to poor lighting conditions, it goes on for some length."

He put it back in a pocket of his robes, "So if you could tell me she's blown it out of pro…" before he hit the woman with the body binding spell, mid swing of the fire poker. "Then I guess we do it the fun way." He sneered.

Ever since siding with Dumbledore he had to give up torturing muggles, and to the untrained mind a legilimens spell can be quite painful. But besides using veritaserum there was no better way to get the truth out of someone and he sure wasn't going to waste any of his potions on the woman, even if she used to be his neighbor and Lily's sister.

Gently levitating her onto the couch, he looked into her watching eyes, the body binding spell wasn't like a stupefy, she was wide awake and aware and would feel every moment of it. "Oh I so enjoyed doing this," he gleefully stroked her cheek, he developed a flair for the dramatic as a death eater, it made their fear that much more intense and his enjoyment was just the sweeter. Drawing his wand up her body, he could all but here her begging him to stop. Placing it between her eyes, "Legilimens" he gasped out. The excitement almost too much.

Clawing and shredding his way through her mind, he knew it was extremely painful and that her recovery in a nonmagical hospital would be weeks, he ripped up her mind, grabbing and discarding memories with abandon. Then he found the memories with the boy. Snape watched as they placed the newly orphaned baby in the cupboard, the discussion on if they should just drown him or not, he watched her neglect the boy who did nothing to her but exist. He saw them beat, berate and belittle the boy. Calling him freak, starving him, working him to exhaustion.

The pain in his eyes for not knowing why, he had to watch as they told him his parents were drunks who died, mocking his parents for an immense sacrifice he knew he wouldn't be able to match. He wanted to leave the memories and go back and pretend this didn't happen, but he watched because someone had to, someone had to be there to know what the boy suffered, every time he cried, until he no longer wept at the pain. Until he learned to respond on command like a slave. Someone had to care for him then.

Seeing the first time the obscurus formed, he was relieved, he knew the oaf that was Petunia's husband would have killed the boy otherwise, the gaping wounds on his back from the lashings he received would have been his end. Her reaction to the form as she recognized the outline, one she had grown up with nearly all her life. When he stared down at it from Petunia's perspective, the anger in its eyes, the absolute disgust that had been shown to him once before, "Lily", he gasped.

He persevered, he watched this young baby grow strong, he watched it suffer punishment that would break lesser men. He saw everything wrong with the world in that child and how it would not break.

A man is forged in the fires of conflict; this boy was molded inside a burning inferno.

When Snape left the Dursley's he didn't stop to see if Petunia was still breathing, he didn't care, he was wrong, and he never once wanted to be right as much as he was now.

Petunia suffered a stroke the morning of July 30th, she spent 3 weeks in the hospital before being taken off life support.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Chap ter five.

So whose liking it, next one should be some light stuff before we can get to the Express, it will probably be a bit dull, but it's not like Harry can go on exciting dangerous adventures all the time, why that would make the people in charge of his safety look incompetent, oh wait.

Normally I do the Review Review at the end but there's only two from the last chapter so it will be quick.

Jerm069, glad that you are enjoying it, hope that you stick around.

Linkskingsolomon, hehehe, hahaha, AHAHAHAHAHA, suffer.

So it's been a quiet week, I've been resting up off over time, 14 hour long shifts are kind of a bitch back to back for days on end, then it's been cleaning and other stuff, so I just didn't get any writing done over the weekend, now though, I should be able to get back to a more regular schedule.

So what I'm trying to do is make the characters more people like, Severus might be a good guy, but he isn't a nice guy, I'm not going to ignore the past and what he had to have done to be so high up in the Death Eaters and that doesn't go away, so if people were a little uncomfortable at his treatment of Petunia, good, that was the point.

As for Dumbledore, I don't like him but I am trying to at least justify him, I don't expect people to agree with it, but I'm not doing the cop out of transferring the horcrux to a pig and killing it deal, that just makes everyone seem stupid that they never bothered to ask if the goblins had an obscure way to deal with an even more obscure problem, since in canon a horcrux was first invented by Herpo the Foul, so I don't want to just make it something they have common knowledge about anyway.

I do have a way to deal with the Horcrux but it might be a bit more, more, you know what I mean. But again thats later.

Next thing to address, I always thought that there would be a baby boom after Voldemort fell in the first war. So I thought that the kids born within a year or two of 1981 would be referred to as "A Potter Baby" since they would have been as a result of Harry's actions. I was considering the term "A Harry Baby", then realized they aren't that stupid, it would be funny for a while. Then again parents are weird, so maybe, tell me what you want in the comments.

So plenty of the students who are in their first year while harry is in his second and third are going to be one of those babies, so I might have some fun with that, could explain why Collin's so excited.

Ah fun times.

So first year is coming up, hoping to get started on that by November, but if I find the time, it doesn't drop quality, and I can tear my ass away from some videogames and crappy youtube videos, then I might be able to pull of Halloween, by Halloween, the troll would be so fun to read about then wouldn't it. Might not happen, would be cool if it did, but I don't want to lose quality over something like an update date.

Now please Remember, if you like it, hate it or want to debate it, leave a Brutal Review. I'm your friendly neighborhood fictional-child torturer, and this has been another chapter of Broken Child.


	6. Chapter 6 - Bones, Bones and Bones?

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in the school's infirmary, when Madam Pomfrey wasn't bustling about and having him drink foul tasting concoctions, he was taking in what sights he could see from his bed. _"It's an actual castle"_ , he thought as he looked around the room. McGonagall had to leave because she had meetings to go to since the school year would start up in a month, he understood that, she had grown up things to do.

"Just kinda wished I had something to do." As if asking was all that was needed, he heard a familiar pop near his head, quickly turning in response, he saw another house elf, "Hello there, I'm Harry." Being around Flipsy made the sight of elves not so strange, in fact he thought they were quite cute. So, he was comfortable around them, partly because they were small like him and did chores like him, so he felt a kinship with the little magical creatures.

The elf, not used to people taking notice of their presence was frozen in its place, "Hellos Mister Harry Potter sir," the elf responded.

"No, I'm Harry, not Mister, not Potter, not sir, just Harry," he corrected the elf. "And what's your name?"

"I bes Billy, I is a castle elf Mist, Harry," the elf answered, waiting for the boy to do something.

"Hello Billy," Harry used the elf's name, "I was wondering if there was anything to do, it's dreadfully boring here."

"Castle elves being doing work, cleanings for the students." The elf answered on what it did to stave off boredom.

"Oh, I'm good at cleaning, I could help." Harry chirped, even manual labor more entertaining than counting bricks, the novelty of the infirmary fades a lot faster than one would think. Billy's features paled at the offer from a student, or a not-quite-yet one, to help an elf do its chores.

"Nos, you cannot be doing elfs work," Billy all but screeched.

"Right, Flipsy told me about that, sorry." Harry's shoulders sagged, _"There goes a chance to do something, but it's a magical castle there has to be something fun to do, even if the place is a school."_ Harry looked back over to the elf that was dusting around the room, then he looked to Madam Pomfrey's office.

The small boy shuffled off the bed and walked over to the closed door and softly rapped his knuckles on the wood. The door opened with the matron looking around, then realizing it was someone smaller than her, looked down to see the nervous child staring up at her. "Yes Harry, is something wrong, do you need more medicine?"

Shaking his head, he didn't want more of the gross tasting medicine, "No but, I was wondering if there was something to do, it's pretty boring here by myself."

Placing her index finger under her bottom lip, "Hmm, you are only here for observation and supper will be delivered soon, so it should be fine if you had something to do, but I'm restocking and writing up a list of potions I'll need Severus to make for the year."

"Please a book to read would be fine," Harry asked. His emerald eyes gazing up to meet hers.

" _Oh, that's just not fair and I bet he doesn't even know he's doing it either."_ The boy's small size and disheveled appearance making him look more like a lost puppy than a soon to be student. Huffing to herself, "Fine, but you'll need someone to show you the way to the library."

Harry tackled her into a tight hug as he gripped her legs, "Thank you." Pomfrey smiled down at her patient's reaction to such a mundane request being granted. Harry all but sprinted over to Billy who was cleaning some dust out of the grout lines in the stone tiles. "Billy," Harry called excitedly.

The elf turning to address the small boy who was, at the moment, the only child in the entire castle, "Yes Mis, Harry," the elf responded to his name being called, "What can Billy be doing for you?" offering his assistance.

"Madam Pomfrey said I can go and get a book from the library, can you please show me where it is, she doesn't want me going alone." His smiled brightly at the elf.

The elf really did want to get it's cleaning done, there was still so much to do, but this was as student asking, so it would have to wait. Setting his rag and bucket down and wiping his hands on his towel robes. "Okays, I take you to the library." Billy replied.

Harry did a little dance for joy, before he grabbed the elf's hand and excitedly pulled on it, "let's go, and you can tell me all about the castle while we walk." The diminutive elf's legs working quickly to keep up with the energetic child.

As the two moved through the castle, Billy was explaining what the elves knew about the castle they worked and lived in. Harry was fascinated that in a building so large they could move around so quickly, _"must be magic"_.

When they arrived at the library, which was easy to get to when you had a tour guide, Harry was astounded at how many books there were. As a result, when he was wondering around distracted by the sheer number of them, he yelped in surprise when he bumped into a woman who had come from behind a shelf.

"S-sorry, I wasn't p-paying attention," he stuttered a nervous apology. The woman looked down at the boy through her large glasses. "I'm H-Harry P…"

"I know who you are." She cut him off, "Everyone knows who you are. I was a student here when you stopped the war." She placed a large stack of books on a table, "The real question is why you are here, the term doesn't start until next month." She had been at the staff meeting as was aware of what Dumbledore had told them all, but she was unaware that the young Mister Potter would be in the school earlier.

"Oh, Madam Pomfrey said I could get a book to read for the night." Harry answered, "I'll be super careful and bring back before I leave in the morning though, I swear."

Eyeing the boy, up and down, "I will allow it, if you tell me why you are here?"

Confused Harry tiled his head, "I thought I did?"

"No," the librarian responded, "Told me why you were in my library, but why are you at the school so soon?"

" _Oh, right."_ Shuffling his feet, "I kinda, sorta got attacked by giant spiders," He mumbled.

" _Acromantula,"_ she thought. Irma Pince might not have been the care of magical creatures' professor, but she was very well read and the only giant spiders near the castle were Hagrid's pet's colony. "Well then might I recommend a book on magical creatures. So that maybe next time you know what to do when you meet them," she offered.

The librarian was a stickler for her own rules and keeping the library clean, but she did feel she owed it to the boy to be a little lenient, as a half-blood she wasn't expecting a lot of good to come her way if the war had gone on for much longer. So, she would recommend to him some literature that might benefit him, before she shuffled down rows of shelves before returning with a well-worn book, _Fantastic Beast and Where to Find them_ , "This is normally a book that the third years will need if they take the class with Professor Kettleburn, but…" she trailed off. "Most wizarding kids growing up have read the book once or twice because there really is no better standard to teach kids about the magical creatures they could encounter."

Harry looked at the index, "Wow, Dragons!" he shouted, getting shushed on instinct by the librarian, "Sorry, it's just," Harry whispered out, "I found out about magic not even a week ago and now dragons are real, this is so cool."

Harry seemed to bounce on his heels, "Thank you." He turned to find where Billy had taken off to, so he could be escorted back to the infirmary. The castle elf had taken advantage that the librarian was distracted to do some cleaning. Normally the elves cleaned everywhere in the castle, but the librarian never wanted the elves to clean the books, so when they could they would sneak in and clean a few of the books, it was a sort of game for them, "How Many Books Can You Clean With Out Getting Caught", with Harry distracting the librarian for so long, he managed to get through three whole books in that short time.

"This be pushing Billy to first place it does." The elf chuckled to himself, they could only score points when a student was distracting the librarian so normally over the summer the game was stagnated, but with Harry here, even if only for a day it was an opportunity to earn some points early. When he heard the child call out for him though, even if it was a whisper he quietly popped over to where Harry was.

The librarian gave an evil look at the elf, she was aware of the game, she didn't like it, which meant it was hard to earn points, even when talking with a student she would keep an ear open to listen for any of the castle elves popping in. Then her eyes widened, " _The little bugger walked in with the student, that's why I didn't realize something was up. They never come in sight of the students unless they have to."_

"Oh, there you are Billy, I hope you weren't too bored waiting for me," Harry politely spoke to the elf who was doing a terrible job of hiding its grin.

"Nos, I be doing what all elves be doing, cleanings." He replied as sarcastically as an elf could.

Harry smiled, happy that he wasn't an imposition on his new friend. "Well I got a book now and it looks really interesting, can we go back to the infirmary so Madam Pomfrey doesn't come looking for me?" He reached out his hand for the elves, who took it victoriously.

"Goodbye Madam Pince," Harry called out to the librarian as he was leaving.

"Yes, byes for Misses Library Anne." Billy mocked.

When the door shut there was a muffled frustrated scream from the woman, "Oh using that boy in their game, I bet he didn't even know." She stomped around trying to find whichever books the elf had cleaned. "Too innocent and cute that one is, going to be getting up to a lot of trouble in this school, just like James," she sighed, he had been a few years ahead of her in the school, but like a lot of girls she had developed a crush on the raven haired young man. _"The Potters were good to everyone, and it seems like Harry is a sweetheart too. So many girls are going to have their hearts broken again."_

* * *

When Billy had dropped Harry back off to the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey came in to see what book he chose, proudly displaying the title, "Oh that's a very educational book, what made you choose it?" she asked.

"Well Madam Pince thought it would be good for me to know how to deal with any creatures I come across next time." Harry replied.

Huffing, "of course she did," despite both women enjoying being the master of their own domain, neither got along well, finding the other too strict. "Get attacked by an acromantula and then just give the boy a book about them. So insensitive."

"Well, it has dragons in it." He turned the pages to the section on the most famous of all creatures. "Do you think I could see one someday?"

"If you want to live a long and healthy life you better hope not." The nurse shivered, "Too many people want to see the dragons, mostly the muggleborns and then go on to getting themselves eaten. Merlin knows why Hagrid is so fascinated by them."

"But," the child looked at the book again. "They're dragons, it's so cool."

" _Ahh children, probably has dreams of saving a damsel in distress,"_ She chuckled before pushing him towards his bed, "Now come on my knight in shining armor, let's get you settled in and I'll have the elves bring you a big dinner, when those potions finally kick in you are going to be hungry. Trust me on this."

"Okay Madam Pomfrey," Harry responded as he started at the first page of the book. "Acromantula".

As Harry made his way through the book, amazed at how many magical creatures there were and also at how funny some of them were. He never noticed when dinner was brought in or that it was more suited for a half dozen people than it was a small child like himself, but he devoured it all the same and kept reading. Some of the creatures looking quite tame or pet like while others like the Lethifold were scary to think about.

Harry's eyes drooped as he got to the halfway point of the book, "There is not much known about the… obscurus… only that they form when the host is dying…" he paused. "They are responsible for immense damage that can often be mistaken for a… natural… disaster." The information saddening the reader. "It is theorized that an Obscurial becomes a dementor if the body isn't… destroyed…" closing the book, the fun of learning about creatures gone at another reminder of his potential fate.

"Billy." Harry called out, hoping that the elf could hear him even though it was a large castle. He turned his head to the sound of the elf popping in beside him.

"Yes Harry," the elf getting his name correct on the first try. "How can I bes helping you?"

"I, I need another book." Harry ordered.

"You already has one book that Madam Nursey said you could be having." The elf gestured to the tome in his lap.

"I need a different one." Harry changed his response. "I need to know about dementors."

The elf stepped back, no one like dementors, even the darkest creatures couldn't stand to be near them. "Whys," the elf gulped. "Why you be needing to know about those nasty thingies?" the elf nervously asked.

"Because I have to," Harry pouted, tears in his eyes, _"If even the elves are afraid to talk about it, it must be really bad."_ He opened the book to the page, singular, on the obscurus, "I have to know." He pointed down at the drawing of a swirling vortex of shadow and hate.

"I be doing that for you Harry, but" the elf stopped. Not using to bargaining help with students. "You not be telling I do it."

Harry nodded fervently, "I promise, I won't tell anyone about it." When the elf popped back a moment later with a dusty black book, Harry turned it over in his hand. " _Azkaban: A History"_ Harry mouthed, running his hand over the spine. Opening the book, he checked the index and then finding the section on dementors.

"No one knows exactly how the dementors came to be, some speculate that Ezkridis created them using dark magic rituals to summon them from the depths of hell, others believe that they are the hand of death, while still others think they are the reanimated bodies of an Obscurial."

Harry stuttered as he continued reading tears falling onto the pages. "What is known is that dementors are… are soul sucking monsters, that cannot be destroyed by any known method and their very presence induces a feeling of hopelessness and despair in those around them."

"The only known defense against a dementor is the use of the Patronus Charm, an advanced piece of charm work that requires the use of powerful happy thoughts by the caster."

Harry slammed the book shut, _"I'm a monster, I'm going to be a monster."_ Harry threw the book across the bed, and pulled his legs to his chest, crying himself to sleep.

* * *

The next few days after his stay at Hogwarts went by quickly: he would get up, take his potions, eat a massive quantity of food, read some of his text books, help Flipsy clean a little, then Madame Pomfrey would come by with a bottle shaped like a skeleton and vanish a few bones out of his body.

The first time he did it, he nearly panicked when his arm flopped around like it was made of rubber, but that was soon forgotten at the rancid milk taste of the Skele-Grow potion.

For a few days Harry was very lopsided, and Minerva tried so very hard not to laugh, it was horrible that a child had to go through such extreme treatment all because of the horrible experiences he had to suffer. But when the boy walked out one morning with arms far too long for his current body, knuckled looking like they might soon drag on the floor, she had to excuse herself from the room and silenced a bathroom as she couldn't control herself.

After the first week, Minvera called Harry into the living room once more.

"Harry, I know that last time did not go so well," She started. "But would you please consider trying a few more spells please."

She expected anywhere from meager resistance to a full-blown tantrum, what she didn't expect was his to sadly nod his head and draw his wand. "What would you like me to learn next?" He solemnly asked.

"We-well, since you are eating more food than normal I think that teaching the teeth cleaning charm would be a good start," Minerva answered. "Then possibly the light charm Lumos, so that you can find your way in the dark."

Harry nodded once more, he did exceptionally well when he mirrored her movements almost perfectly and while they were basic charms that even children under eleven were taught, he picked them up on the first try. The obscurus never formed while they were working on his spell casting, but she could tell he was nervous every time he incanted.

" _I wonder if I could have him try a more powerful spell,"_ she thought to herself. _"He's doing well in charms like Lily, let's see if he inherited his transfiguration skills like his father."_ She cleared her throat to get the child's attention. "Harry I want you to try one more spell for me, I want you to turn this match into a needle for me." _"A task similar to the one I would be teaching them in their first year anyway, only this just changes the shape and not what it's made of."_

She turned two cups into matches and handed one to the boy. "Now you tap your wand to the tip of the match and will it into the shape you desire." Demonstrating for him, unintentionally following through with the whole change that instead of just changing it into a wooden needle, she changed it into gold, as she would when teaching the lesson, "Oh Harry, you don't need to…" stopping as she saw the boy holding the same golden needle in between his fingers.

"Need to what?" he calmly asked, he only did as she did.

"That's normally what the first years do," she looked over the needle in his fingers. It was excellent, Outstanding level work.

"But I am going to be a first year, so what's wrong?" Harry looked from his needle to hers. They looked the same to him, and she was happy when he did the spells right so what was different this time.

"I'm just surprised, is all." She coughed, "That is what you should be at by the end of the first semester."

Harry's negative feelings over the last few days, allowed his low self-esteem the moment to strike back. "But I've been having you teach me by myself, anyone could have done it then." Not thinking himself special and attributing his accomplishment to the dedicated attention he was getting.

Minerva wanted to contest this but there wasn't a real logical refutation to his answer, so she instead chose to compliment him, "Still you are doing a wonderful job and I really hope you keep up like this when school begins." She said as she swept him out of the room to wash up for supper.

Then she remembered something she had been putting off for far longer, caught up with the school term starting in a scant few weeks and the excitement of the previous week.

"Tomorrow, I'll deal with it then."

* * *

At the dining table Minerva sat next to Harry who despite eating a very large plate of food for the potions to work off of, he was still eating slower than her, by proportion. "Harry," Minerva spoke to him between her bites, "I have business to attend to at the Ministry tomorrow, so would it be alright if I had a colleague of mine watch you for a few hours while I get it all sorted out?"

Harry nodded, still unused to being asked what he wanted, but he didn't think having one of the other professors watch him was too big of an issue, "As long as it's not that old guy who tried to take me away." He said after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"No, I don't think I will be asking the headmaster to watch over you, not until he apologizes for his behavior." She responded.

"Okay then."

* * *

Minerva went to the staff meeting between the professors they were each discussing last minute preparations that would need to be done before the term began.

"Oh, hello Minerva," came the squeaky voice of Flitwick.

"Yes, how very nice of you to pull yourself away from the oh so important savior," dullishly said Snape.

"Hush you," Sinistra batted at him, "How is the little tyke?"

"Marvelous, he's quite studious and spends much of his time being as small and out of the way as he possibly can." Minerva sighed, "Which is nothing like how a child should be acting."

"Sounds like a house elf," Snape joked. He yelped when Minerva flung a stinging hex at him.

"Yes, did you know he cried the second day he was with me, because after everything he went through, he questioned if he was even human." Her patience having just been run out with Snape's condescension.

"No, no I didn't," Snape quietly responded. "I'm sorry, I'll be more sensitive," he added, thinking back to everything he saw while tearing his way through Petunia's memories.

"Good," turning back to the other occupants of the room, "Now I need someone to watch Harry for a few hours tomorrow because I have to clear up a mistake at the Ministry."

Sinistra bounced in her seat, "Ooh, pick me, I want to watch him." Despite being the astronomy teacher and as a result working late into the night, she was undeniably a morning person, that usually ended after breakfast when she would fall asleep where ever she happened to be.

"This would be in the morning, Aurora," she glanced to the currently awake woman.

"Yeah, well, I still want to see him." She happily stated.

"I'm already assuming that you want nothing to do with him Severus," she glared at the Potions Master, daring him to challenge her. His response was a growl.

"I would be most delighted to, I could even see how he handles some more advanced charmwork," the ever-delightful Flitwick offered, eager to get his hands on a talented student.

"That would be good…" Minerva pondered.

"Posh, you have him doing magic all the time, how about we see how he handles the more hands on tasks," Pomona offered her time.

"That," she stopped. "Might actually be really good for him." A contemplative look glancing across her features.

"Oh ho, I recognize that look Minerva," Flitwick wagged his finger, "Go on tell us what you have planned."

"Well since our discussion a few weeks ago," reminding Flitwick of their theory on the obscurus. "It might do well to have him practice a branch of magic that doesn't require a wand."

"Hmm, yes that does seem very clever." The quarter goblin teacher prodded his near comatose colleague, "And what are your thoughts on this Miss Vector" despite being the youngest professor, Snape being almost a decade older than her, she could not function in the morning without coffee, which the castle sorely lacked over the summer break.

"Snrk, yes, good, idea" she grumbled into the table, barely aware of the conversation.

She turned to leave as she had been at this job for quite a number of years so like the other older professors she had her yearly lessons already planned out. "Oh, and Severus, he is so much like Lily, I think you really should give him a fair shot. It might be your only chance."

* * *

The next morning for Harry was very slow, Flipsy had kept the house clean all by herself even if it was larger than the one on Privet Drive and the took Harry most of the day to clean by himself and she was able to do it in a few hours. But the difference between her clean and his clean, he still felt like it was a home after she was done with her chores, Aunt Petunia always made him clean until the house felt wrong.

Sitting in the same spot on the sofa, which seemed to be regular for him Harry heard the whoosh of the flames in the fireplace coming to life and a short portly woman stepped out, her hands were covered in dirt and she had lots of gardening tools on her belt.

"Thank you Pomona, for coming early, maybe I can beat all the traffic and be done sooner." Minerva joked.

"You never know, they might all be stuck in meeting about cauldron thickness." The herbology professor bantered back.

"Well this is Harry," she pointed to the boy who was watching the two of them talk. "Hopefully they don't have me fill out dozens of forms and just take my word for it, then I can be back shortly."

As McGonagall left, Harry felt a little nervous being alone with another strange person. "Well I should introduce myself, I know who you are, going to be quite rare to meet someone who doesn't, but I am Pomona Sprout and I teach herbology and am the Head of House Hufflepuff."

Harry hopped on his place on the couch and extended his hand, "Oh what a little gentleman you are," she chuckled. "Now I heard you don't much enjoy using your wand?" Harry shook his head, "Okay, but have you started reading your herbology textbook yet?" she inquired.

Harry nodded, "A little, it sounds like gardening."

"Quite right, very similar, herbology can be thought of as magic gardening." She knew her field was more in-depth than that, many jobs relied on skilled herbologists like herself to grow the magical ingredients used in much of their society. But she was never too picky about how people described her work, not like some professors, call Vector's work magical math and as long as she has had a cup of that brown sludge in her, she'll rant for hours about how muggles don't truly understand numbers.

Chuckling to herself, she came back to the conversation, "I was wondering if you might want to help me in the green houses, see if this type of magic is more agreeable to you, hmm, you like that idea?" she posed the question to him.

Harry thought back to all the gardening that Petunia had made him do, his Aunt never really liked tending garden or growing flowers, but it helped with the "Normal Family" look she was going for. So as a result, Harry got pretty good at it, so he may have been going through the book more to look at the different magical plants.

"I think I might like that." Harry said as he followed the old lady to the front door. "Is it okay to just go outside?" he nervously asked.

"Well we're just going to walk up to the castle," Pomona stopped at the door, "It's a wonderful day out and there's no need to miss a delightful stroll just to save a half an hour using the floo." She enjoyed the early fall weather, the trees just barely hinting at the orange and reds they will become, the warm breezes over the cool crisp morning air, it was invigorating.

She heard the soft patter of the boy's steps quickly behind her, a few townsfolk greeted the professor on her way back up to the castle, which she so loved, it was wonderful to see the people who lived so close by to her. As she passed the shops, mentally taking stock of what she might want to get when she has a moment to sneak down to Honeydukes for some chocolate salty balls.

She almost jumped as the child he had been trailing her suddenly rushed ahead as the gates for Hogwarts came into view, she looked behind her to see if something had been chasing him, like a stray dog or something, but she only saw townsfolk poking their heads out and whispering to one another about the boy. _"Can't stand the attention then."_ She giggled to herself, "Oh I just can't wait to see the year start."

The morning for Harry was spent quietly digging in pots and transferring some seedlings into the greenhouse. Pomona was glad that Harry had such a gentle hand when pulling the plants out, making sure to come underneath the root instead of strangling the stem and yanking them out of the soil.

* * *

For Minerva McGonagall however, she was having a very frustrating morning. "What do you mean it's out of your hands?" she demanded an answer.

Mafalda Hopkirk shrank away from her enraged former professor, "Yes, as you see even if you admit being the to one casting the spells, the sensors that detect underage magic picked up a dark spell."

"And that makes it different how?" Minerva quirked her eyebrow.

"Well the former department head, Dolores Umbridge, she's the new Undersecretary to the Minister, so she got Fudge to sign a law that was stricter on underage children who used dark magic." Mafalda explained.

"So, when we get a report about that it goes to the DMLE to handle," she continued. "Which makes sense on paper, but it's just an excuse for her to hassle muggleborns and half-bloods." She waved her hands dismissively, "Since we all know that pureblood families don't get letters simply because we can only tell where magic is used not by whom."

Minerva was stunned, since when was that a rule. Nonetheless, she would need to speak to an auror, maybe some of her former students would be able to get this all cleared up. "Well, Mafalda, I dare say this has been most enlightening, but not all that helpful."

"I'm sorry professor, wish I could do more," a soft buzzing came from the back room, "But it's only a short time until Hogwarts gets them all and I have been swamped by students too eager to wait another week or so."

Minerva had a long walk down the hallway into the auror bullpen, she stopped at the lectern for check in, "Hello Dawlish," the professor greeted the bored man.

Shaping himself up, "Well good morning to you Professor, how can I be of service?" happy to see a familiar face, especially one that can no longer put him in detention.

"I am in need of the services of someone who can clear up an underage magic charge for me." Shen answered, passing him the letter from her time at the Dursleys.

"Well that's a bit strange init," Dawlish scratched his head. "Didn't know we handled those, even something that needs obliviating would be level three not us." He read through the list. "Cor blimey, mister Potter did all that?" he passed the note back, "Still don't see why it's suddenly our problem."

"Well the new Undersecretary made it so that any dark spells used by an under-aged witch or wizard requires auror investigation." She explained.

Putting his head in his hands, "ugh, as if we don't have enough work to do, now we gotta go after a bunch of kids who don't know what they're doing too." Looking her in the eye, "And how's that gonna look, arresting the Boy-Who-Lived just because he had a bit of a row with some monster on another one of his adventures." Dawlish was a secret collector of the Adventures of Harry Potter series, since he wanted to be an auror after the war had ended.

"That is the problem, mister Potter wasn't the one casting the spells," she corrected the man, "I was, I had been delivering his Hogwarts letter and lost my temper a bit."

"Woah ho, what managed to under your skin that you did all that then?" He asked curious as to what would make the stoic woman snap.

"The worst sort of muggles." She spat out.

"Well that's,cryptic," Dawlish nonchalantly signed her in, "Go on back I'm not sure who has the authority to sign off on one of these, though it's about someone as important as Potter, maybe Bones might spare a moment from her morning paperwork to clear this up."

The witch walked past empty cubicles until she stopped at the door labeled, Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Rapping her knuckles on the door, Minerva heard a voice approaching, "Robards that better the report on Borgin and Burkes or a damn good cup of coffee or I'll have you walking sideways for a week when I shove that wand up your." Before flinging the door open to see the unamused face of her transfiguration professor.

Normally stonefaced she suddenly felt like she was back at Hogwarts getting in trouble for hexing boys in the halls. "Umm," she unconsciously fiddled with her hair, "Professor what can I," coughing to clear her throat, "What can the DMLE do for such an esteemed member of our community." Attempting to regain her dignity at her previous bout of crude language.

Doing her best to maintain some level of civility, "Good morning Amelia, I wish that this would just be a social visit, I do enjoy seeing the students who followed their dreams." Remembering the bright eyed young girl who wanted to be an auror grown up and in such a short time shot right to the top of the department, before she was forty as well.

"Well it must be serious if you have to come see me," alarmed that such a well-respected and powerful witch would need to bring the problem to the DMLE.

As the two retreated back into her office, mounds of parchment, letters and scrolls were strewn about the room. "I swear I know where everything is, it's organized chaos." The ruby haired woman stated.

"Yes, you seemed to have a similar sorting system at Hogwarts as well, so Pomona tells me." McGonagall laughed.

Blushing at the teasing, Madam Bones asked the important question, "So what's the issue, Death Eaters, rampaging Manticore, Dumbledore get into the liquor cabinet" she listed possible outrageous problems.

Sighing, "No those would be easy. Here, I already spoke to Hopkirk about this and she said with Umbridge it's now a DMLE problem." She passed the letter over for the Auror to read.

She whistled as she went down the list, "And Potter did all this," she asked.

"No and that's the problem, I did." McGonagall responded.

"Bwahaha, you, hahah." Amelia lost her composure, "Why, aha, would you do this." She gasped for breath.

"I was frustrated with the muggles," she answered.

"I know you, what could possibly be the reason you would demolish a house because of some muggles." Her steely gaze returned, her instincts trained over years told her this was a doozy of a story.

"I, I can't tell you unless you swear this doesn't get out," McGonagall bargain, "to anyone."

"This must be serious if you want me to keep it a secret." Amelia was interested.

"It is, do you swear?" Minerva asked again.

Grumbling to herself, it's bad for a department head to swear on secrecy like that, but she knew the Deputy Headmistress, and this information pertained to the most famous child in their world. "Mmmmm, fine, I don't like it, but I don't want to just write this off without knowing why."

"Thank you Amelia, I really do mean that." Then Minerva told the auror everything she found and new about Harry's situation, the abuse, the scars, the obscurus.

Amelia was silent when the other woman finished, she reached into a drawer in her desk and pulled out two glasses and a half full bottle of liquor. Downing a glass.

"Are you serious?" She softly asked. Minerva only nodded, nursing her own glass. "Then let's cut to the serious matter here, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!," she screamed. "You want to send him to Hogwarts, he's a cauldron waiting to boil over, he'll kill everyone there, Susan is going this year."

"No he's, improving, we think we found a solution." McGonagall rapidly answered. "When he uses his own magic, it weakens the obscurus, he's healing. He needs to be at Hogwarts to get better. The professors agree this is the best solution we have."

"You really believe an obscurial can be cured?" the auror training was extensive but much of it was for outdated problems, obscurials just didn't happen anymore, they weren't supposed to.

McGonagall nodded and finished off her own glass. "Yes, he's already getting treatment for his physical maladies," she placed the glass on the desk, "It's the mental and emotional ones that are taking time. He's too timid, so used to being hurt that earning his trust is hard, at least it seems for adults, and he's very skittish to confrontation."

"Let's talk about that for a moment." Amelia refilled her own glass, "These muggles, Merlin." Before downing it again, "If people found out about this, they won't survive the night" she flung paperwork off of her desk, "They might as well have proven the Death Eaters right, the Potters gave everything, the boy lost everything to end the war and then what happens." She was glad that her room was enchanted to muffle sound inside.

"They treat the boy like a slave," McGonagall finished for her, "Yes, it's everything _His_ people preached that the muggles were too different from us, that they were animals."

Slumping into her seat, "And if it's as bad as you made it sound, I would have a hard time disproving them." Amelia had a headache, this day was supposed to just be reports, but now she was stuck trying to find a solution that didn't put the boy's turmoil on display for the whole world.

"So, what is the solution here, he attends to Hogwarts, uses his magic, gets better and his scars are attributed to the trash those publishers are apparently peddling, Bob's your uncle and we go on with our lives?" Amelia ranted out.

"Hopefully," Minerva sighed, she had been doing that a lot lately.

"That still leaves me in the unfavorable position of what to do about the Dursleys." Amelia groaned. "I can't put them before the Wizengamot, regardless of how guilty they are, everything said there would be in a special edition Prophet almost as soon as they finished saying it, everyone will know about it." She weighed her options, "And if I take it before the muggle courts, they'll ask questions that can't be answered, unless we violate the Statute of Secrecy."

"As much as it disgusts me to say this, we let them go." Minerva gave her a third option, a way out.

"What let child abusers go free, just because it's hard for us to deal with." The younger woman was skeptical.

"No because it's best for Harry," she retorted, "He never goes back to them, we find a way to get him a place that isn't there. It shouldn't be hard, he's Lord Potter now."

If everything else she had learned in such a short manner was troubling, learning that an eleven year old held a title of nobility was it, Amelia spat her drink out. "Sorry, WHAT?" she shrieked.

"Yes, apparently defeating You-Know-Who avenged some fallen lords, Edgar was one of them. Which earned him a Noble title, making him an adult, by ancient law." Minerva droned on what she had learned from the goblins.

"So not only is he an adult wizard which makes this even more complicated he's now the Lord of a Noble and Ancient house, giving him actual power more than just his influence as The-Boy-Who-Lived would provide." Slamming her head into her thick desk. "Anything else you want to tell me."

"Dumbledore thinks You-Know-Who is still alive and that Harry has to die." Minerva provided more bad news.

Amelia began laughing hysterically before going out the door and down the hall, with a concerned McGonagall trailing after her, until she reached a door marked for the auror's supply of potions.

Amelia walked past the guard who was there to write in whoever comes in and collecting forms for whatever potions they needed. He put up a meager protest against his boss who seemed to be crying in laughter as she marched down an aisle to grab a calming draught and downed the entire bottle.

She then slammed the glass phial down onto the ground shattering it, "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!" snapping her gaze to the quarter master, who knew that staying to listen in would see him in very deep trouble.

"Yes," McGonagall cringed at the anger, "Dumbledore believes that when young Harry defeated You-Know-Who, he vanquished but did not kill him entirely. And that Harry as an obscurial is dangerous and would need to die to protect everyone around him."

"I can't," Amelia paced the aisle, "You don't just, Do. You. Know. What. That. Would. Mean?"

"Yes, the greatest evil we have ever faced not quite gone and the only person who was capable of stopping him before is has been abused to the point that it's possible he dies and kills a bunch of people around him." McGonagall almost robotically answered, had it not been horrifying news it would almost be funny to watch it all brought out in the open like that. "Which is why I'm trying to fix this."

"Do you believe him," She asked the big question. "Do you think Albus is right?"

"No, he's kept so much to himself, that I am willing to help him one last time with this scheme of his," McGonagall stated. "Albus has apparently thought up a way to trap him because he believes that You-Know-Who is running out of time and would need a method to return."

"You better be right, because we are not prepared to start the war up again and his followers finding out he's not gone is going to start a panic and not having The-Boy-Who-Lived around this time, we might as well roll out the red carpet and crown him king." The stressed worker half-joked.

"Yes, I'm certain that it's just Albus being overly paranoid about phantoms of the past, so can this stay under wraps until next summer, that's when Albus theorized it would be too late for him to come back and Lord Potter should be healthy enough that he would no longer be an obscurial." McGonagall pleaded.

"I don't like it, but without any proof He's back we'd be crucified for inciting a panic among the populace with talk like that." Amelia sighed, "Just keep an eye on the students and I'll try to get Fudge to let me take in more for auror training, Moody's been ranting about retiring for the last decade."

"Then as a favor I'll keep an eye out for any students who I think might be a good fit and push them your way." McGonagall thanked her friend before leaving.

* * *

" _Well that only took most of the morning. Hopefully Pomona had an easy time with Harry"_ Stepping out of the green flames of her fireplace, she had expected to see Harry reading a book about Herbology or talking about plants with the professor. What she didn't expect was the scampering eleven-year-old racing around the sofa being chased by her hysterical house elf with a soapy rag. Harry's treatment of his physical injuries had grown him about a foot and that let him outpace the considerably smaller elf even if she could turn much better than him.

"Nos Harry, you need to be cleans before lunches." Flipsy cried out, with a large smile on her face as the boy laughed his way out of her clutches, Pomona sitting with a cup of tea and watching the two play.

Harry skidded to a halt when he saw McGonagall staring down at him, Flipsy running into the boy who suddenly stopped. Harry dejectedly looked down at the floor, "Sorry for running in doors Ms. McGonagall."

A genuine smile crossed her features, _"he's finally acting like a kid, even if it's only with Flipsy, it's still progress."_ Walking past him, "It's quite alright Harry, but we do wash up after playing in the dirt," she jabbed at her colleague.

"Oh it was more than just dirt Minerva, you know all too well." Pomona smirked at her friend. "I thought it would be good for him to have well-rounded knowledge, so I started him learning about Nepeta Cataria."

Blustering at the joke, "Yes well, still Harry it's important that you do wash up before meals, you won't make a lot of friends if you smell like dragon dung."

Nodding, Harry walked out of the room to go and bathe, while Flipsy scrubbed the floors where ever Harry had dragging in dirt. Happy to be doing cleaning and that Harry had enjoyed his morning.

"He is a delight, he may not know about the plants themselves, but he knows how to treat them and that's half the battle with these children." Pomona stated, "Which Professor gets him in their house is going to be quite the lucky one."

"I know, I just worry he'll struggle with the students," McGonagall voiced her concerns. "If it goes well no one will know of his condition at all."

"And if they do?" The portly woman dangerously asked.

"Then I pray that no bad happens," McGonagall worried.

* * *

The days were going by quickly and soon it was coming up on the first of September, his treatment with the potions nearly complete, when he had first been taken in by McGonagall he was barely more than four feet tall and could hardly be four stone and now he was past five feet and weighed almost seven stone.

Harry's last stage of treatment was the most dangerous but ultimately the most important, the replacement of his spine and skull. As it required that Harry be immobile but also awake for the bones to regrow, the professors agreed to watch him through the night, each spending their time talking about what they teach or some of the goings on at the school, the older professors telling stories about James and Lily.

It wasn't long before McGonagall was fussing over Harry as she prepared him to floo to Platform 9¾, "Do you have all your books," the boy nodded, "Clothes," nodding again, "Wand?"

"Yes, I made sure to check everything before last night, I just don't know why I can't walk up to the castle now." The sun barely peaking over the tree line.

"It's a rite of passage to take the Hogwarts Express," McGonagall tried to comb his nest of hair down and out of the way of his eyes. She had wanted Harry to have a haircut before going in, but he resisted, not wanting his scar to be so recognizable.

"Remember the words to get there?" McGonagall asked one last time.

"Yes, I promise I'll be fine. I'll see you in a few hours, right?" He asked back.

"Of course," she fussed over him just a little bit longer. Waving him off, "Goodbye Harry."

"Goodbye Auntie McGonagall." He unconsciously responded, before flooing to the platform.

"Oh that boy," McGonagall sighed, "He's changed so much from just a month here hasn't he Flipsy?"

"Yes Mistress, Harry is a very good boy." The house elf replied. "I bes keeping an ear on him this year."

"Thank you Flipsy, you have no idea how comforting that is for me." She patted the elf on the head before the two of them apparated to Hogwarts, a right granted to the Headmaster and Deputy-Head.

* * *

Harry stumbled onto an almost empty platform, Hedwig squawking at the sudden change of scenery. "I know girl, you don't like it, but after this you can fly there next year, how does that sound?" The elf glaring at him before letting out a happy shriek.

He quickly moved onto the train before people took real notice of him, and claimed a compartment near the front, McGonagall had informed him that the prefects, who were like student officers had meetings there, so he wanted a place nearby in case he needed some help. Hefting his trunk onto the overhead racks took some strain to do so by himself. He had found that all the treatment he had undergone had not built new muscle but it revitalized and repaired the damage that had been done, as a result his newfound strength is where he would have been after all the intense physical labor he had undergone at the Dursleys, which just meant he was strong for his age, but not at all like a superhero he had secretly hoped to be.

Pulling out his potions book, which he took an interest in reading because he had been told that the professor was a perfectionist and that his parents had a difficult relationship with him, so he wanted to try to get off on a good foot with the professor he hadn't a chance to meet yet.

Silently reading his book he heard the crowds of students meandering through the compartments and his door had opened on a few occasions, but no one had bothered to enter, just people complaining that a second-year claw was in the room.

The next time the door opened he heard a small voice speak out, "Umm, excuse me, may we please join you?" Harry looked up at who the voice meant by we.

A short girl with shoulder length red hair, framed a heart-shaped face dotted with freckles. And behind her a blonde-haired girl with pigtails and a flushed face peeked over her shoulder.

Harry a little nervous about being around other children, as he had always been called a bully, troublemaker and a liar by the kids at his elementary school, mostly after Dudley caused mischief and blamed it on him. _"Come on Harry, Dudley isn't here, and everyone is going to be like me. But are they like me, did any of them grow up without people who loved them, or friends, even basic needs like food. Can I do this, should I just get off the train and run away. Would that."_ His internal monologue cut short by the girl speaking up again.

"If, if you don't want to, we can try to find." Before she too was cut off by Harry's reaction.

Harry quickly closed his book, "N-no, s-sorry, I, I didn't." nervously gestured to the very open compartment, "please, ma-make yourself at home. I didn't mean to take it all." As he began making himself smaller into the corner of the room, old instincts taking hold.

The two girls sat down across from the boy who was doing everything he could to not look at them, because Harry suddenly found the wood paneling on the wall fascinating. The two girls began whispering to each other.

"He's strange" the blonde started.

"He's probably nervous about sharing with firsties," the redhead responded.

Puffing out her cheeks, "So he's still strange."

The redhead turned her head in indignation, "We should introduce ourselves."

"He _should_ , he's the strange one." Glancing back at the boy who was doing an admirable job of pretending not to hear the whispered conversation that in such an empty compartment might as well have been shouted.

"He's shy, just like you are. At least you have me." The other girl retorted.

"Fine, you first though, since you really want to." The pigtailed girl stuck out her tongue.

"Such a child," turning her body to the male occupant. "I'm Susan Bones. And this," jabbing her elbow into her friend's side, causing her to squeak in surprise, "is my best friend, Hannah Abbott." Susan said sticking her hand out to be shaken or kissed, depending on if it was a pureblood or not.

"Oh, r-right." Harry took her hand awkwardly, not sure what to do with it. "I, I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

The blonde girl blushed ferociously and squealed. "Oh Merlin."

"Oh no." the redhead quickly grabbed her friend, "Sorry, she's always wanted to meet you." Struggling as the girl tried to climb the shelf for her trunk. "She's, hey watch it, you almost kicked me." Trying to keep her from crawling the walls.

Harry had drawn away from the high-pitched sound and seemed to be cowering in the corner. "I swear she's really nice and not at all a deranged fangirl, most of the time." Giving up as the girl managed to get a book from her trunk.

"Please sign this," Hannah asked, shoving the book into his face. Harry pushing himself further into his seat. "It's my absolute favorite, I read it a hundred times. When you saved the witch from the Manticore I always dreamed you would come along and."

"HANNAH!" Susan shouted, yanking her friend hard back into her seat. "Look what you're doing to him."

Hannah took notice that Harry had curled himself into a ball on his seat and was whimpering apologies over and over, practically begging for mercy.

"I, I, I'm sorry, I didn't" Hanna stumbled over the words, she just wanted her book autographed not put him into a comatose state.

"This is what my aunt warned me about." Susan softly spoke. "She told me a few weeks ago that The-Boy-Who-Lived would be nothing like I expected. This must be what she meant."

"You mean he's a wimp?" Hannah asked, looking at the boy who was protecting himself and silently watching the two of the girls argue back and forth.

"No," she almost shouted, but kept her voice down, her tone still stern. "Auntie Amelia couldn't tell me everything, but she did say that Harry would be easier to set off, is the way she put it."

Susan sidled slowly and staying in Harry's sightline, gently reaching her hand out. "Harry," pausing, "May I touch you?" waiting for him to affirm or dissent at her approach.

Harry nervously nodded, he hoped that whatever they did would be over quickly, he didn't expect the girl to softly stroke his back. "I'm sorry Harry," Susan apologized. "We were very inconsiderate to you. Can you forgive us and if you feel like it, give us another chance to introduce ourselves?"

Harry carefully uncurled himself, "O-okay?" he half asked and stated.

"My name is Susan Bones."

"And I'm Hannah Abbott." She carefully extended her hand for the boy to shake. "I'm sorry, I was just so excited to see you that I didn't think about what I was doing, can you please forgive me?" She looked hopefully at the celebrity.

Harry slowly nodded his head, "It, I just haven't had people do that since I went to the Leaky Cauldron."

"They rushed you with books there too?" the blonde asked.

Harry quickly shook his hand, "No, the adults just kinda piled on me until I pushed them away." Remembering his first adventure into the greater wizarding society.

"Really, we're little girls," Susan joked keeping her hand massaging circles in Harry's back. "They're old drunks, it's much cuter when we do it." She giggled into her free hand.

"Yeah, they kept wanting to thank me for something I didn't know." Harry answered.

"Really you didn't know why?" Hannah gasped.

Harry nodded, "Yeah Aun, Professor McGonagall told me before we went to Diagon Alley that I stopped this Voldemort guy." Pausing when both girls gasped and Susan stopped her ministrations. "What?"

"You said, You-Know-Who's name." Susan peeped out.

"But that's his name?" Harry quizzically looked at the girl.

"But he's, you can't just say his name." Hannah whispered harshly.

"Why not, I stopped him didn't I, so it shouldn't be a problem right?"

"Well you, I guess, but people don't like it, so could you please maybe not say it in front of us?" Susan requested.

Harry didn't want to make these girls feel uncomfortable so he acquiesced to the simple request. "So what do um, normal girls, uh witches, kids… do?" Harry awkwardly asked, he had never developed small talk or really any basic social skills because of his lack of attention.

The two girls giggled in unison, before sharing a look. "Well, we've been best friends since we were babies." Susan started, Hanna picking up.

"Yeah ever since Susan's parents and my Daddy died, we've been raised together by Auntie Amelia or my mum."

"Oh I'm sorry, how did they um, die?" Harry asked. Both girls shared a look.

"They um, they died in the war, _His_ people killed my Daddy, Susan's parents." Hannah looked over to her friend.

"You-Know-Who killed them, himself." Susan glumly looked. Thinking about what might have been.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean." Harry stumbled over his words. _"Good job now they hate you, making you remember their parents who died because I didn't stop that madman earlier."_

"Harry, no please it's fine." Susan quickly spat out. "I wish they hadn't died, but I'm grateful that he was stopped, even if, I'm sorry I shouldn't say it like that. But let me be the first student to thank you for ending his reign of terror. I don't know how many more people would have lost their families if not for you and yours."

"I, well, I could." Sighing, "Thank you, I wish I remembered what I did, but I don't really know what to say."

"You don't remember?" Hannah asked. "But if you don't then how does anyone know what happened that night?" she pondered.

"Yeah," Susan concluded. "If you don't remember and it's not like You-Know-Who is going around saying what happened. So how does everyone KNOW what happened that night?"

"I don't know but if he wasn't gone, why wouldn't he have just come back at some point?" Harry offered.

"Yeah that makes sense, if you didn't kill him, then wouldn't he have just gone to try again or do something else instead." Hannah shrugged, they were eleven they didn't need to try to figure out the mindset of murderous psychopaths.

So as the three made small talk, the door opened and shut a few more times as people kept looking into the compartment and apparently not finding what they are looking for.

"What are they all doing, is that normal?" Harry asked the two more experienced girls about how witches as wizards might act.

"I think they're look for you." Hannah guessed.

Which confused the boy, "Me, why, I don't know any of them?"

"Because you're you." Susan answered. "Everyone knows you are coming to Hogwarts this year, so people want to see you, for whatever reason, like it or not Mister Potter." She continued her Irish accent coming forward the longer she spoke. "Init strange, they know nuffin about ye and all try so hard to meetchya."

"Susan, you're doing it again." Hannah corrected her friend, causing her to blush.

"Sorry, I'm normally better behaved than that." She sheepishly responded.

Harry thought it was cute, however she seemed ashamed of it so kept his mouth shut. "I guess, being famous makes people do strange things?" he was famous and barely knew what it meant.

"I dunno, I'll give you my perspective once I stop the next dark wizard." Hannah laughed, her shy nature faded when around friendly people.

When next the door opened, a freckle faced redheaded boy stuck his head in, "Any of you birds seen Harry Potter?" the two girls shook their head and the boy left.

"Kinda dopey that one." Susan stated, standing up to close the door that the boy had left open.

"At least he said why he was coming in, so he's at least forthcoming." Hannah added, missing the rudeness with how he entered and left.

The door opened again not even a minute later, "Excuse me," a bushy haired brunette peered in, "I'm looking for a lost toad. Have any of you seen it?"

The three occupants shook their heads, "No," Harry thought, "But the prefects are in the next carriage, maybe one of them know a spell to help find lost pets." He offered a solution.

"Brilliant, thank you." She said as she tugged the nervous pudgy boy behind her.

"Hannah," Susan gleefully teased, "I think that was Longbottom." She cackled before tackling her friend.

"Wait, Susan, ahhh." The blonde squealed as her friend tickled her sides. "Nooo, Harry, quick, she's not protecting her backside. Grab it, it's nice, ahhahaheheeeeee. And squishy." She shouted back, to the boy who hid behind his hands.

Susan quickly jumped off her friend to protect her bum, "No it's not. And you better not try and find out," she glared at the nervous boy.

"I wasn't, I wouldn't" Harry pleaded innocence, before Hannah tackled her friend and tickled her back.

"Aha, I have the upper hand now." They continued like that for a minute before both girls were laughing at their fun.

The door opened again and the brunette from earlier gasped in shock, while the boy covered his eyes.

"Oh hi Neville," Susan slyly stated. "You remember the cute and not shy at all, Hannah Abbott, right?"

"Su-Susan p-please," Hannah babbled, lightly strangling her friend to prevent her from blurting out her crush.

"H-hi Sue, hi Hannah." Neville weakly waved. "This is um, Hermanie."

"Hermione," the bushy haired girl corrected, "Her-my-owe-knee. Granger."

"R-right, sorry." The boy anxiously scratched his neck. "Can we join you, the other compartments have people. And I'm."

"Sure, that's fine with Hannah," Susan laughed. "Harry, are you okay with more people, you _were_ here first after all."

"Tha-that's fine," Harry nervously responded. "M-more the uh, the merrier r-right."

"Right, so let's handle introductions." Susan sat up and straightened her clothes. "I'm Susan Bones, the tough one" she pointed to herself, "That's Hannah Abbott, the cute one." She poked her friend in the ribs.

"St-stop it Sue." Hannah blushed.

"And our third Musketeer is none other than the illustrious and magnanimous Harry Potter." She pointed to the boy who waved quickly. Susan covered one side of her face, "He's the mastermind behind the whole operation."

"What operation." Hermione asked, not quite getting the joke.

"To protect the world from devastation." She continued the gaff.

Wide-eyed, Hermione looked at the boy famous for numerous feats of heroism in the books she had read. "Really?"

"Oh quite, he's going to unite all people within our nation." Susan sang.

Hermione was enraptured, The-Boy-Who-Lived was quite an accomplished young wizard to do something so grand at a young age. "That's a wonderful goal Harry," she turned to praise the boy who was more confused than anything.

"What no I'm not." He said.

"So, you're not going to protect the world." Hannah gasped, tears in her eyes, herself getting caught up in her friend's usual shenanigans.

"Wait, no I'm, Susan please help." Harry pleaded.

All she did was laugh at the misfortune of the boy, instead of feeling bad for tricking her gullible friend and someone she had just met. Then look at the boy's expression and her heart melted. "Fine, I'm making it up, Harry's just a normal wizard like anyone else."

Hermione was dejected, "But the books said." As she pulled out a copy of _Harry Potter and the Hydra Hostages_.

"Sorry, all fiction, my Aunt told me." Susan corrected the girl. "She's the Head of the DMLE and she would know. No way could half those things happen in England she would have been aware of a rampaging herd of Erumpents."

Hermione looked down at the book, then thought about it, "Yeah I guess, someone would have seen something if he supposedly battled a dragon on top of Big Ben."

"Oh, that was my favorite one." Hannah perked up.

"That's just because the little witch he saved was a blonde with pigtails like you." Susan jested. Then proceed to imitate her, "Oh Neville, save me from the dragon with your big strong." Before Hannah resumed her tickle-based assault.

The pudgy boy had turned scarlet at the near confession.

"Don't listen to her, she's gone madder than Moody." Hannah blurted out.

"Have not."

"Have too."

"Have not."

"Have too and I have proof." Hannah added.

"Oh yeah, what proof?" Susan curiously asked.

"Yeah, remember two years ago, you slept over and we talked all night about." Hannah started before Susan covered her mouth.

"Fine, yes, I am mad, clearly for trusting you with that information."

The other three shared a glance, before Hermione laughed, Neville and Harry nervously chuckled between each other.

"So how do you think we'll be put in our houses, _Hogwarts: A History_ only mentions a sorting, but it doesn't say how."

"No one knows, even my aunt won't tell me, said she'd have to arrest me if she did." Susan answered, "I think she was joking though."

"I hope it's not a test," Hannah said. "I don't do well on those."

"I'll just be happy not to be sent home," Neville added.

"I'm sure you'll do great Neville," Hannah encouraged him through her own blushing face.

"Th-thanks Hannah."

"If it's a test I think I'll do good, I already read this year's books." Hermione chimed in.

"Already!" Susan gasped in shock.

"Yes when Professor Flitwick came to my house and explained magic to my parents, well I was really excited about all the new books to learn from." Hermione happily explained.

Susan coughed into her hand. "Claw". Nudging her friend who laughed.

"What about you Harry?" Hermione asked the boy sitting next to her.

"I think anything would be nice." Harry answered. "I met most of the professors and they seem nice, so I don't think there's a bad house."

"Really you met most of the professors?" Susan quirked her eyebrow.

"When I was staying with Au, Professor McGonagall." Harry nervously answered, the entire compartments eyes on him.

"Why would you," Hannah started to ask before the door slid open.

A blond boy with an air of nobility flanked by two large boys that looked to have been a few years older than them, looked around the compartment. Harry thought he looked familiar.

"I was looking to see if Harry Potter was on the train, I heard he was attending this year, but I can't seem to find him." The blond boy sneered, "guess he felt there were too many Blood Traitors" he said almost spitting on the two pureblood girls, while glaring at Neville, "Oh and look more mudbloods." He hissed and his cronies dumbly laughed.

"Leave Malfoy," Susan snarled. She said as she stood up, if it came to a fight she was sure she could win, her aunt taught her some spells for self-defense.

"Well, well, well," he slowly said, ignoring the annoyed girl. "If it isn't the mudblood from Malkins," he shook his head in disgust. "Another boy from rags coming to our great school, I never did tell you my name, did I?" realizing his faux pas, "Well then mudblood freak, it would do you some good to know your betters, I am Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, Heir Apparent to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Remember that you trash."

Harry tried to be polite over the hurtful way it felt to be called a freak again, fighting the tears in his eyes. "I-I'm, H-har."

"Ugh no," Draco said with disgust, "I don't want to know who you are, you filth, just remember your place." Before slamming the door and walking away.

Harry's tears burst and he silently bawled, the compartment stunned. Susan reacted first, throwing a tantrum, "That jerk, how dare he come in and just be, grrrraaaahhhh," she flipped out. Hermione nervously touching Harry's shoulders.

"H-Harry, are you." The brunette gulped. "Are you okay?" she nervously asked.

Harry only shook his head. "He knows I'm a freak, why did I…" he sniffed, "Even bother trying." Looking up at the other riders with him. "I should have." He wiped his eyes. "Just stayed in the forest with the acromantula."

The purebloods were alarmed that The-Boy-Who-Lived had spent time around such dangerous creatures.

"Harry, you" Hannah started, "You are not a freak." She said cupping his face. "Say it with me. I am not a freak."

"I-I am, not, a-a freak." He whimpered.

"Again." She ordered.

"I am, not, a freak?" he confusedly stated.

"Was that a question or a statement." She barked at him, "Again."

"I am not a freak." He said without stuttering.

"Good," Hannah let go of his face.

"Ye-yeah, Malfoy's a je-jerk." Neville quietly said, expecting the boy to rush back if he was being bad mouthed. "He's always talking down to people just because he's the Heir Apparent to a Noble and Most Ancient House."

"What's that mean, Heir Apparent?" Hermione asked as she pat Harry's back, looking to the purebloods to answer that question.

"To a lot people it means everything, supposedly there is no one who supersedes his claim to a Noble and Most Ancient House, not since the previous Lord, Orion Black passed away, with both sons, being," Neville paused. "Ineligible, to take the seat."

"Why would the sons be ineligible?" Hermione question her inquisitive nature missing the uneasy atmosphere.

"We-well, you see, umm" Neville looked to the other two girls to help him out.

Susan cut through it, "Both of them served You-Know-Who and one's presumed dead and the other is serving life in Azkaban." She answered glancing over the details of the circumstances, she didn't think Harry needed more stress.

"Oh but, that doesn't really mean much to me." Hermione spoke, still a bit confused.

"Yes, well you are a muggleborn, nobility has been sort of phased out for your kind as of lately," Hannah bluntly stated. Hermione frowning at "your kind". "But for us, nobility translates to power, wealth and status."

"Susan and Neville are from very old families." Hannah started explaining in perfect clarity. "The Bones are a Noble and Most Ancient House, but since Susan is the last remaining member of the main line as woman she has much less control over the fate of her house," she made gestures with her hand, "The Longbottoms are like the Potters," she pointed to Harry, "It's an Ancient house, pretty old but not as old as a Most Ancient House."

"Noble house are granted hereditary seats on the Wizengamot, which are next to impossible to take away so Malfoy would inherit a seat from the Black family that would grant his family voting power for generations."

"I'm a Noble House." Harry quietly corrected her.

"What was that, I didn't quite hear you?" Susan said.

"I said I was a uh, Noble house." Harry said slightly louder.

"But the Potter's are ancient what could they have done to be declared Noble?" Hannah asked, wizarding history happened to be her strong suit.

"My Gringotts manager, said when I stopped Vold," pausing as he saw the girls flinch, "You-Know-Who, because he had killed the lords of the Prewetts, McKinnons and Bones, I apparently avenged their deaths so according to ancient law it was a Noble act."

Susan gasped. _"Of course he got revenge for daddy,"_ Susan knelt in front of Harry, "I know I thanked you before, but I really truly mean it, you got revenge when that monster killed my parents, thank you."

Harry was nervous and instead took her hand and sat her back in her seat. A silence filled the cabin again, before Hannah asked, "But what does that mean for you."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, "Well my account manager said since I was underage when I earned the title, it made me an adult, so I'm now, Lord Potter." He blushingly stated.

The rest of the purebloods were shocked, "Lord. You." Hannah stumbled over her words.

Hermione was confused, "What does him being a Lord mean?"

Susan and Hannah shared a look, "It means pretty much, he's the Head of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter. He's by all rights an adult."

"Okay but what changes?" she asked frustrated.

"For one, he can use his magic whenever and however he wants to, it's no longer underage sorcery if he's a Lord." Neville answered, continuing when he saw that sunk in. "He has an actual vote in the Wizengamot, he controls his entire houses finances and makes decisions for it." He started reciting the information his grandma had impressed on him growing up since he would take over as his head of house on his seventeenth.

"That's nifty, I guess." Hermione stated, as a muggleborn she just didn't get why it was so important. _"Using magic whenever you want and being a member of magical parliament sounds pretty cool, but also really stressful."_

"But no one besides you all and McGonagall know that." Harry shushed them, "She doesn't think it's good for people to know that."

"Why not it seems pretty useful and wouldn't it get Malfoy to leave you alone?" Hannah asked.

"Because he's eleven," Neville answered the blonde's question.

"Why would that matter." Susan understood the difference between a mere head of house and a lord, but not why that was so bad now.

"because he can enter a magically binding contract." Neville sighed. "Or be tricked into signing one."

"That sounds bad," Hermione concluded. Neville only nodded in agreement.

"Fine we just won't tell anyone this." Susan cheerfully said. "Do we have your leave to not call you by you title, Lord Potter?" she asked permission.

"Yes," Harry shot out all too quickly, "Please, it's just Harry."

The train blared it's horn not soon after, Susan standing up. "Alright you two boys, out. We need to change into our robes." Playfully glaring at Harry, "and we don't want some creepy adult peeping on us innocent young girls." She said covering her chest. Harry's scarlet blush covered his face as he rushed out of the room to the girl's laughter.

Neville stood in the hall with him, "Girls, they're all barmy, am I right?" Harry just nodded in agreement. Then it was their turn to put on their robes.

* * *

They milled in with the crowd to disembark the train, following the other first years towards Hagrid who was calling for them. The giant fellow noticing a head sticking up from the rest of the first-years. "Oi, weren't you a wee shorter last I saw ye?" he asked Harry.

"I got better?" he answered with a question.

"All right then." He started counting heads. Seeing that this year's crop of students was smaller than most, it didn't take him long, with a frown of understanding why this year had the lowest number of students he had ever seen, it made sense why only around a dozen boats floated the waters this year. "Well maybe next year will be bigger."

As the students climbed into boats, Hannah sat with Neville and Hermione, while Susan and Harry shared a boat with the red head from earlier and blonde girl who kept a stony look.

"oi, ain't you Harry Potter" the redhead said as he got a better look at Harry's face. Harry glumly nodded, stuck in a boat with another fan. "Well why didn't you say nuffin when I was asking for ya?"

"I didn't know who you are?" He quietly answered, looking at Susan who wore an expression between giddiness and annoyance. The other girl looked displeased about being around anyone.

"That's why I wanted to introduce myself." The boy extended his hand, "Can't rightly be friends if you don't know my name. I'm Ron Weasley, great at chess, eating and all around amazing bloke."

Susan began giggling, she knew about the Weasleys, her aunt often told her about the eccentric Arthur Weasley and his collection of plugs. The Weasleys were nice; Brash, loud and not all that bright, but they were good people. She nudged Harry who took his hand and gave it a shook.

"R-right, I'm Harry, Harry Potter." He introduced himself. Then he looked at the blonde girl who only huffed at his glance. "S-sorry."

Harry looked back over lake in awe, he had seen the castle from the inside, but this was truly magical, the dark waters crashing against the cliffside while the burning lights lit up the silhouette of the enormity of the castle, it was a truly breath-taking sight. "Wow."

When the boats pulled up to the shore and the students disembarked, some of the grumbled as they saw all the stairs they would need to ascend to get up to the great hall. After a few minutes of climbing most of the children were ready to call it quits, not even out of breath Harry looked around at how the other first years handled the walk up.

"It wasn't that bad was it." He asked. Another student looked at him in disgust.

"I hate stairs, I hate the person who invented stairs. I want to throw that person down, a flight of stairs."

" _Right that bad it was."_ Before looking around, "Oh Aun, Professor McGonagall" he shouted as he ran up to the older woman, staring at a scroll, he remembered that he wasn't supposed to hug her in public though so stopped short of her.

"Hello Harry, how as to train ride?" She inquired.

"Pretty good, I think I made some friends." He nervously stated, the others hadn't said they wanted to be his friends, but he imagined that was what having friends felt like.

"I'm truly happy for you Harry, now run along, we have to get the sorting started." McGonagall asked if there was any trouble with this year's crop from Hagrid.

"Nah perfessor, all good and no one fell in the lake this time." He hefted his gut before strolling through a door.

"Well then, form a line, and we'll begin shortly," before she turned into the hall to finish setting up.

As the students formed two crude lines, a few shrieked as ghost floated through the walls, too impatient to wait for the crop of new students to enter, and to get their jollies off spooking the kids.

"See every year, we get fewer and few kids to scream," a blood covered ghost complained to a very fat ghost.

"I would have to agree, kids just don't scare like they used to." The obese ghost responded before the two floated back into the hall.

When McGonagall stepped back out, she resigned that the lines the students formed was adequate, "Come along now, let's not keep everyone waiting."

As the students entered the hall, the older students pointing and whispering at them was ignored at the sights around the Great Hall. Hermione pointed out that the ceiling was enchanted to show the sky above.

Sitting on a dusty stool, was an even dustier hat. A crease slowly formed along its brim, before the cloth folded into a crude face.

" _As you see every year._

 _I sit here while you all cheer."_

It sarcastically sang.

" _All the kid sitting under._

 _Where you'll go I do wonder."_

The caps voice grating the melody.

" _Be you Gryffindor Brave and Noble._

 _Or will you meet dreadful ends because you're all a bunch of dunderheads."_

McGonagall frowned.

" _Or are you Ravenclaw, Studious and Smart._

 _Get your head out of those books or you might find yourself with no friends."_

Flitwick smiled.

" _A sneaky clever Slytherin._

 _Awful for kids to spend so long in dungeons playing with their snakes"_

Snape continued his trademark scowl.

" _May you be a Hufflepuff._

 _Hardwork only goes so far, so take a load off put down your rakes"_

Sprout laughed.

" _It won't matter,_

 _While you get fatter,_

 _I'll show you where you're at,_

 _Just remember, I'm the Sorting Hat."_

The various students gave different levels of applause for the hat's greeting song. Two redhead boys cheered about how much they loved the hat.

The first years were nervous, as McGonagall strode next to the hat. Unfurling a scroll, she called the first name, "Hannah Abott."

Harry watched as she nervously approached the silent hat, it stayed still when it was placed on her head, before it suddenly came to life and shouted, causing her to scream. The hall laughed at her fright, remembering how it liked to get the first student with its antics.

"Hufflepuff" it shouted, as the girl's tie and badge changed to yellow and black. She placed the hat down on the stool hard, frustrated at it being mean to her, before she skipped over to the table with the same colors.

McGonagall called out the next name, "Susan Bones" causing the redhead to stroll up to the hat and put it on, ready for any tricks it might pull.

"Hufflepuff." Making her squeal in delight as she ran to her best friend and sat next to her.

Harry watched as names got called and different students got put in their various houses. "Hermione Granger," the bushy haired girl went to the chair.

It was a long minute before the hat grumbled, "Gryffindor" and grunted as she sprinted to her table.

Harry zoned out again as he watched more students get called until he heard a familiar name, "Neville Longbottom".

The hat hummed to itself, and after a few seconds, "Gryffindor" it shouted much louder than the rest of the houses it called earlier, startling the boy who ran off with the hat. Once McGonagall had retrieved it from the embarrassed boy, the sorting recommenced.

Minerva called the next name, "Draco Malfoy" the blond boy strode up to the stool and the moment the hat touched his hair shouted out, "Slytherin" and the boy walked to the table of snakes, chin held high, as if any other outcome was impossible.

The next few children had been put through the hat and sorted before McGonagall paused and cleared her throat. "Harry Potter" and the hall went silent.

Harry nervously walked up, all eyes on the boy, he could hear their whispering.

"That's him."

"Wow, he's so different than the books"

"I think he's cute."

"I hope we get him."

Harry quickened his pace as he fast walked up the steps and sat on the stool, McGonagall gently placed the hat on his head.

" _Ahhhhh"_ The hat shouted in his mind. " _What the bloody buggering hell, so that's what that old kitten was warning me about."_

" _How are you, you're in my head."_ Harry questioned.

" _Shush I'm reading."_ The hat quieted him. _"Oh, oh my, I'm, Lord Potter, let me be one of the first to say, I truly and unequivocally am sorry for everything you have endured."_

" _What do you mean?"_ Harry inquired.

" _I go through the wearers mind to find where they are best suited, and you are, everything that you have, words fail me."_ The hat mentally shrugged, somehow. _"But this is my job, I need to sort you, and had you not gotten treatment from that minx Pomfrey, I would declare the Hospital Wing for you. She's no Helga, but she does a good job."_

Harry thought into his head, _"So where do I go?"_

" _Well that there is the problem now isn't it. Standing firm in front of that oaf of an uncle, that's bravery, never giving up well I think the Lion's would be proud to have you, your parents went there even if they would have fit in elsewhere."_

Harry's eyes widened under that cap. _"My mum and dad were Gryffindors?"_

" _Yes but sweet Lily should have been a Ravenclaw, she was so smart, not unlike that Granger girl, but she reasoned her way into being a lioness all the same. And you father, he was brave, a bit dumb too, but I have never seen a friend more loyal than him. So I was very disheartened to see in the first student to be put under me, that they had passed."_

Harry saddened, just another reminder of his parent's sacrifice.

" _However, I heard from every child after how grateful they were for what you did, so on behalf of them and the children who are here because of what your family has done. Thank you, Lord Potter."_

" _Thank you, Hat, it means a lot that people honor them too."_

" _And there it is, despite your cleverness, bravery and intelligence, that unshakeable faith and undying loyalty."_

"BETTER BE…" The hat triumphantly shouted.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Chapter 6, hello everyone.

Fancy meeting you all so soon, I would like to say this chapter was the toughest I have written, I got stuck on so many parts, McGonagall's discussion with Amelia, and I had to come up with a reason Amelia isn't sending every auror around the country trying to find Voldemort, so I hope it's at least somewhat plausible that she would sit on this until something more substantial she could bring in.

Second struggle, I couldn't decide if during Harry's treatment that I wanted to spend time with the professors and just babble for a while or go through it because the treatment won't matter it's all the scars that are left behind I want to use. So I struggled for hours trying to figure that out.

As for the Sorting Hat, I didn't use a conventional rhyming scheme, but I really did want to make my own Opening Song for him and not just copying the canon one, so I hope people at least didn't hate that.

Was the interactions between the students believable, I did a little bashing of some people, but I hope that I was able to make the girls seem like real kids in line with what limits on personality it had for them.

The wiki mentioned that Susan has some confidence issues when she fails at stuff, that would be later. But that Hannah isn't all that smart, but I figure shes a good people person and has some interests shes good at so History it is, give me something to do with Binns later.

Did I make the similarities between Harry and Neville too much or not enough.

I hope the dialogue wasn't too sappy or what have you but I think it's at a good place, Harry is healing, he'll get hurt later on, but I want to establish some groundwork otherwise he would run away at some point.

Review Review Time:

DepressedNinja75 Bringing on.

Millie072, oof that's a lot, thank you, really I mean it.

Alright lets go from the top. Yes the Dursleys aren't done, but that will be later. There are some canon questions that never really got asked, but I'll answer them even if no one is asking.

Aragog that will actually cause problems but again it will be later.

Yeah Poppy was a bit of a bitch, because the movies really made her seem a bit not friendly, which I cranked up a little, she'll mellow out though, and improve with Harry, it's actually important that he develops that relationship slowly with her, he needs to meet a future harem member later through her. #Spoilers #Don'tCare #PlayingDoctor

Dumbledore isn't really going to murder Harry but he was very quick to write him as a terminal case and just let him die, there is a difference and it will matter, he's not free and clear.

No sorry, the stone is there, in the school, it's just going to be different how he gets to it.

Next Time On Dragon Ball, wait wrong story.

Let's meet the extended family, also our favorite shadow gets to play with a ferret and what's that smell, it's DEATH.

You know it, let's hear you shout it out, S


	7. Chapter 7 - Sorted Served Sweethearts

"HUFFLEPUFF" the Sorting Hat proclaimed, its voice echoing off the walls. Never in its near millennia existence had it been so proud to sort a student. Harry took the hat off and quietly thanked up then turned to look at the tables, that had all gone quiet. Before a thunderous roar of applause and cheering came from the black and yellow tables, slowly the other table joined in various degrees of clapping.

Harry quickly walked over to the long table in between the blue and bronze Ravenclaws and the red and gold Gryffindors. He walked down to where the other first years in Hufflepuff had been sitting before Susan grabbed his hand and pulled him in the space between herself and Hannah. Susan leaned over and whispered, "Thought I might save you a bit of trouble with new people bombarding you with questions."

"Thank you," Harry whispered back. He really wasn't going to enjoy having every student trying to ask for autographs or thank him, it was awkward enough the two times it had already happened. Harry's attention was drawn back to the remainder of the students to be sorted and he clapped when other people were added to the houses. He caught McGonagall's eyes and she gave him a smile, which helped ease his worry she would be disappointed he wasn't one of her lions.

"Ronald Weasley," she said as she neared the bottom of the list. The eager red headed boy strode up to the stool, waving to the other students like they were his adoring fans.

The hat stuttered and grumbled, "Another Weasley," it shouted. "How many more of you am I going to have to sort before your parents give their bed a rest, huh?"

Ron's cheeks began to match his hair, "Well there's Ginny, she's going to be the last one."

The hat laughed, "She, finally after all these years, I get to sort a She-Weasley, well aren't I just so blessed." The hat watched as McGonagall hid her face, knowing that normally the conversations were private, happening in the student's head, _"But this one has so much empty space I'd get a thread-ache from the echo"_.

"Hey, I heard that," Ron shouted back to the hat.

"And what are you going to do about it?" waiting for a response. "S'what I thought, Now I am tempted to put you into Slytherin just to see what would happen." As he heard Snape groan behind him, clearly not wanting to spend any more time than necessary with one of the redhead clan.

"You better not," Ron threatened.

"Oh, and how exactly do you plan to stop me?" The hat said incredulously.

"I'll, well I'll," Ron stumbled over his plan.

"I'm waiting." The hat threatened.

"I'll just find another talking hat." Ron answered.

The hat scoffed, "And where pray tell do you plan to get one of those, hmm?"

"I heard Neville's gran has this stuffed vulture hat, and it can be quite the conversation piece." Making a few people snicker at how Ron doesn't know what "conversation piece" meant.

The hat straightened up, "Well anyone willing to wear such gaudy headwear in public must certainly be brave, or dumb, I'm not to choosy, so let's keep it in the family," it cracked a crude joke. "Gryffindor," it shouted. Ron jumping but not before sticking his tongue out at the Sorting Hat, he decided to crash in the space between his brothers, who noogied and poked at their youngest brother for picking a fight with an enchanted piece of cloth.

* * *

As the sorting came to a close, Harry watched as McGonagall sat with the other professors before the old man who tried to take him away came up to a podium. "Attention students, I am Headmaster, Albus Percival Wulfric _Brian_ Dumbledore, but you may call me professor Dumbledore as I do not believe that at any point in my career, I have stopped teaching, nor have I stopped learning." As he glanced around the room pausing his gaze on Harry. "I have a few announcements to make before the opening feast, firstly the Forbidden Forest is forbidden, I do mean it this year, there is a process to relocate the acromantula colony and they are being, stubborn." Harry understanding why that may be, a few of the more adventurous students grumbled, they knew if Dumbledore was telling them why something was forbidden then it really was dangerous. "Secondly, the third-floor corridor, on the right-hand side, is out of bounds, for everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." This made a few other students excited, since he just gave a warning but no real substance, so that meant it was time to explore the third-floor.

"Lastly, our caretaker Mr. Filch has again warned that the casting of spells in the corridors is punishable by detention, so do try not to get caught," he winked at the students. "He has also put up a list of contraband that he will confiscate should he find it, Misters Weasley and Weasley please do take a moment to see what of your handiwork he had managed to find over the summer." As he turned back to his list, which was blank, but it made it look more official. "I can see that some of you are nodding off, so let the feast begin and we can all get a good night's rest." As he clapped his hands and the tables filled with food.

Harry was amazed and did his best to eat cleanly and quickly even if he had a near mountain of food that he was devouring. A few students gaped at how he was eating enough for four people, so Harry sheepishly gave an excuse, "heheh, skipped breakfast," which was enough to satiate their curiosity. After the feast had ended, Harry, Susan and Hannah huddled with the other first years as a the fifth-year prefects directed them to Hufflepuff common room.

Harry shuffled nervously in his spot as he could feel the eyes of the students on him, sizing him up, judging him. The door opened, and Professor Sprout came out, "Well I am pleased as peaches that I have a new crop of Hufflepuffs to cultivate," making the older students groan as she belted out puns. "Oh none of that, now we may be the largest house in the castle, but we are a family here, and we will know each other. So I want each of you to find time to introduce yourselves to each other and get to know one another, you'll spend at least a year with each other so it is worth the time to make friends."

As the prefects walked and separated the genders to take them to their respective dorms. Susan and Hannah waved Harry goodbye as he walked the steps down to the first-year rooms. "Now I will warn you lot once, try to get into the girl dorms will get you in trouble, so don't try it," the boys nodded, most of them not ready to want to get into the girl's dorms. "The room you'll be in will have your names on it, next year, you move down a floor. Your schedules will be distributed during breakfast tomorrow." As the boy brought the few boys into the room they would be staying in.

Harry noticed that his trunk had been brought in, "Oh who brought our stuff up?" he asked the prefect before he left.

"The castle elves Potter, who else?" Before walking away quickly.

"Oh, um," Harry looked around the room before quietly whispering, "Billy." Before turning his head to the left, after hearing the soft pop.

"Yes Harry?" the elf asked nervously. The elves weren't used to being called by a student, especially on the first day.

"Do you know which elf brought my trunk in?" He asked.

The elf shook its head, "Nos, I do nots, is something being wrong?"

Harry stammered out in denial, "No, nothing's wrong Billy, I was just wondering if you would thank the elf who brought it down here for me."

Billy smiled, "I bes finding out which elf does a good job and tells them the great Harry Potter sends thankses."

"Thanks Billy," he said before the sound of a soft pop as the elf apparated away.

Ernie Macmillan walked over, "Did you just thank a house elf for doing its job?"

Harry stood up and quirked his head, "Yes, why shouldn't I have?"

"You are a strange one Harry Potter," said the other boy as he climbed into his bed.

* * *

Harry woke up at the crack of dawn, like he always does, and he showered and dressed quickly, thankfully he was the only boy up so he didn't have to explain the scars on his body to anyone just yet. He quietly prepared himself for the day and set out into the common room to read some more of his potions text. He had become engrossed in the subject as it was easy to compare it to baking, albeit with some potentially more dangerous mistakes, that he didn't notice a form creeping up on him.

"Wotcher we got here?" said a smug feminine voice, before laughing as the boy jumped out of his seat. "Little Harry Potter, studying, you sure the hat didn't mean to say Ravenclaw?"

"Nuh, no, the hat, was deciding between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, but said I was more loyal than anything else." Harry answered. The girl with fiery pink hair hopped over the back of the couch to sit next to him as he reseated himself on the furniture.

"Hmm, do you also have _Moste Potente Potions_?" she asked. Harry shook his head.

"Nooo? The required text was _Magical Drafts and Potions_?" Harry said with a confused look on his face. The young woman shook her head in an exasperated tone.

"Course the dungeon bat never puts it on the required list, probably tells his snakes to pick it up by mail order." She stood up and stretched, "Hang tight Oh Great Hero and I'll be right back." As she went down the steps to the girl's dorm, coming back up a few moments later with some stacks of parchment.

"What is all this?" Harry looked at the sheets.

"Owl Order Forms," she answered. "If you need to get something while at Hogwarts you could mail your parents," before making an uncomfortable noise, "erm, or if you have the money on you, can just send out an owl to the shop you need to purchase from, saves time and a headache since firsties and second-years can't go to Hogsmeade so they can't sneak out to the Alley if they needed something."

"Wow, thanks, that's," Harry smiled widely at the nice lady who was helping him.

"Say nothing of it, we help each other in Hufflepuff, we're family," She said, "And you know we somewhat are."

"Hmm, what do you mean by that?" He looked up at her.

"I'm like sort of related to you, I mean yeah sure a lot of them people might be able to claim something, but, I'm like a billionth closer related than they are, so not even really family, but I could be sorta, I mean our great something or other grandmother and your great something or other grandfather, and." Before she hid he face in her hands. "Sorry, let me start over." As she cleared her throat and sat up straight, "Nymphadora Tonks at your service. But call me Tonks."

Harry reached out his hand, "Hello Tonks, I'm Harry Potter, but I'm just Harry." He smiled at her, then when she took his hand he placed a chaste kiss on the back of it, being calm when meeting someone allowed him to remember his lessons on etiquette McGonagall gave him.

"Well aren't you just a proper gentleman," she giggled, "However Just Harry, everyone already knows who you are." Harry shook his head almost violently. "No, are you an imposter then?"

"No, I'm Harry, but I don't think anyone knows me, they know my name and face, but not me," he frowned. "And I worry that that's all they will want to see, this hero and then when I'm not what they expected, that they won't, they won't want me." He looked at his textbook.

Nymphadora pulled Harry into a hug causing him to sputter, "T-Tonks, what!" he cried out.

"Shh, hugs make everything better," as she stroked his head. "I want to get to know you, so even if the others don't want you, I will." Harry relaxed into her embrace.

"Kind of sounds like a confession, when you say it like that," Harry wasn't an expert on romance, or even crushes, but he knew enough that talk like that wasn't common.

Nymphadora blushed a bit, grateful that Harry couldn't see her face. "It sort of is."

Harry squirmed so he could look into her eyes, which he would have bet money on them being blue before, but now they were purple. "But, why?" he asked, unsure why someone he had never met would have this type of feeling for him.

"Because you big dork, every witch and wizard in this school had grown up listening to your stories," she teased.

"But none of those are true?" he responded.

She shook her head, "Well duh, but still the one that is true is the one that matters, my family was in a rough spot during the war, I was just a little girl at the time, but they were scared, from people on both sides, then you came along and ended it. And my mum and dad said that was the first time they had felt safe in years, that they said I was safe." She sniffled, recalling how hard it was growing up, seeing all the muggle children outside playing and being told that she couldn't go out, or watching her mother and father breakdown in the kitchen after reading the Daily Prophet or getting a letter than a friend or their entire family was dead.

To her, Harry Potter didn't just save the magical world, she saved her family, from falling into a pit of despair that she didn't think they would get out of, it bought her freedom. So, to her, being a friend of Harry Potter was the least she could do to repay this debt she felt.

Harry sat in this young woman's arms and when he felt a wet drop hit his cheek, he looked up and saw this girl crying, "Hey Tonks, it's okay. Please don't cry." As he wiped the tears from her face. "I'm happy, I'm really happy that people felt safe after what I did. I'm really happy that you felt safe."

"Even, even though you lost everything?" she asked him quietly. Harry thought for a moment, he thought very hard about what he lost, no what was taken from him. He hated the Dursley's, hated his childhood, hated Voldemort for taking that from him and leaving only pain, but he thought about Susan and Hannah, how much that man had to have hurt their families, about Tonks now who was so distraught by what had happened that it brought her to tears.

"Yes, even though he took everything from me, it gave everyone else hope and safety, and I won't mourn my parents, I will celebrate what they did, what they sacrificed." He decided.

"Wow," she rubbed the redness out of her cheeks, "That's really cool Harry."

Harry wrapped his arms around Tonks' stomach and squeezed firmly, "Even if it doesn't mean much, I don't have a whole lot myself, so I'll want you to." Tonks reacted by blushing furiously and putting her face into the crook of Harry's neck, surrounding herself in his comfort.

"Thanks, that really means the world to me Harry." She sighed. "We should probably break apart in case anyone comes down and gets the wrong idea."

Harry let go of the witch and looked at her, "What could be wrong about this?" he innocently asked.

"Ha-Harry, that's so," before she covered her face, "So forward." Her hair cycling colors and lengths.

"Hey, how are you doing that?" Harry asked amazed at the different shades it was flowing through.

Tonks looked at him, then realized what he was asking about, "I'm a metamorphmagus, a natural shapeshifter, I can control what I look like." As she changed her style back to her preferred pink locks.

"Wow that's really cool, I wish I could do that." Harry said, making Tonks look at him confusedly.

"Why would you want to look like anybody else?"

Harry shrugged, "So that people don't notice me, I was getting a lot of attention and it makes me uncomfortable." He confessed.

"Well then I can try to teach you to cast a glamour, it's some pretty tough charm work, but it can make subtle changes to how something looks, works on people too." She offered him.

Harry's eyes lit up, "Really, you mean it, you can help me disguise myself?" said louder than intended.

"Yup, I'm considering being an Auror when I graduate." She said proudly, "Gotta be good at stuff like that, potions, charms, dada, transfiguration."

"Wow you must be really smart and strong than." Harry sat in awe, making Tonks blush at the compliments, before getting herself under control.

"I'm well, just dedicated, is all." She denied the compliment. "I really want to do this."

"Well I hope if I can help you make it, then please come to me if you need anything." He offered.

"Thanks, so the spell is…" as she demonstrated the wording and wand work needed, "So now you give it a try, just need to picture the changes you want and cast. It's a pretty tough fifth year spell, so if you don't…" she paused, "Merlin." She gasped

"What, did I do something wrong?" Harry got off the couch and looked for a mirror, he found one and saw his appearance. His eyes had turned blue as the sky above, deep as the ocean, his raven locks had lengthened into a dark chestnut color and the scar, was gone. "Wow, I did all that?" he looked back at her, "You're an amazing teacher Tonks, thanks, now if I go out in public I won't get mobbed by a bunch of people." He ran over and tackled her back into the couch into an even tighter hug than before. "Now how do I end this, don't want to confuse people when I come to breakfast."

Tonks quickly taught him the _Finite_ spell, so that he could end the charm and Harry thanked his new friend for everything she had done for him. As he quickly put his books away in his room, she hadn't moved from the spot on the couch, _"He did a fifth-year charm like it was nothing, he shouldn't have been powerful enough to change more than an inch or so of hair."_ She was shaken out of her thoughts when Harry grabbed her hand in his.

"Let's go get some breakfast, Tonks." As he pulled her along behind him.

" _His hands are so rough"_ as she looked at his covered in callouses and scars, _"But they're so gentle to, what have you been up to Harry."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I really hope people are enjoying this, I wanted to start the chapter with some fun humor, before I entered a more serious tone, finally ending with some fluff.

I really wanted to touch on some of the psychological elements of the other people who had to witness the war, for some of the younger students they might not remember much but the older ones and new graduates were children when it was going on and I felt like Tonks would have a very unique perspective that I felt would leave some pretty heavy baggage with her.

Her mother Andromeda, sister of Bellatrix, she looked like her to, who would trust her, how many times would she have gone somewhere and had to wonder if someone was going to mistake her identity, or think she was a death eater like her sister was, how frightening that had to be to worry about someone deciding to take a shot at her, and it could have come from anyone one, death eater, order, auror or just someone scared.

Her father Ted, a muggleborn, would have struggled and worried that he would get snatched, worried that he could be made to give up his family.

And Tonks, in all this as a six year old, not able to make friends, because she was the niece of you know whos right hand, then with Sirius that whole mess, her childhood had to have sucked and as I wrote it was probably getting worse by the day, suddenly Harry saves it. So I think on some level she developed a deep crush on him and now finally meeting him in person came out.

I really hope people don't hate this part because I am proud of it myself that I was able to come up with what I think is good insight into how other people were handling the war.

If people hated it, let me know and I'll tone it down and skip over how some other families might have taken Harry's victory.

Review Review

AWhiteLight glad I can brighten up your day, hope you enjoy this, albeit smaller, chapter.

Millie072 yeah I can't remember if mind healers are canon or not, and she very well might be, but right now, Harry's psychological problems won't result in him exploding and taking out everyone with him but the Obscurus will, so that is the more immediate problem to solve and she does hope that solving that helps his emotional and mental scars as well.

As for shutting down Hermione, yes she is very forceful when it comes to learning things, but I do remember her being a very emotional girl, e.g. first year teasing, buckbeak, house elves and other instances. So when she saw Harry emotionally crumbling that desire for knowledge takes a backseat, she's going to have problems with not being able to know everything right away but she is not going be some robotic being that just demands books.

I don't plan to ditch Ron, but he will play a much smaller role than he did, conversely Neville's will be much larger, I am going to attempt to have Neville mirror Harry in some aspects.

He-Who-Shall-Live sorry, I have other stories I work on and I take breaks, here's this to tide you over if you just want more of this.

dl-o-lb sorry he's a Puff, I just didn't think I could justify him as a claw in this, he's not really seeking knowledge.

kyle yes the Chocolate Salty Balls were not magical candy, I was referencing South Park. But I can make a point about that, I refuse to believe that having muggleborns for this many centuries that they would give up things like pizza or hersheys bars, kit kats. Nope, not believable, someone would take hostages if they couldn't get a burger and fries at some point in the year. So I expect that places in Hogsmeade cater to the muggle pallet. And using the best damn magical chocolate would allow them to recreate the recipes help by those companies, so you could go and get M&M's or Mars bars if you wanted.

I would hate to be at Hogwarts and for a near full year never have things like chicken wings or a coke, I would go mad, I would be the next Dark Lord over that.

Guest, thank you, I tried to have humor and referencing things from our childhood is a fun way to keep the magic alive. Might start doing some more obscure references later.

jackofspades95 All I heard was, I love this please more cliffhangers my blood pressure isn't high enough.

firetemplar415 over time, a near decade of physical, mental and emotional abuse takes time and a lot a fluff. He'll get there, but somethings will drag him back down, that's why he will have a Harem, someone will always be there to catch him as he falls.

To the everyone who though Hufflepuff you was right.

I know I mentioned that I was going to get to Halloween, this might actually take a bit more time, I want to set up a few extra pieces on the board before knocking stuff down.

Leave me some brutal reviews, because I know I need them, I reread some earlier chapters and realized I made quite a few grammar and spelling errors and even got things wrong, like when Harry got on the platform instead of owl I said elf, for some dang reason.

Take me to task over this stuff guys. Until next time, if you haven't check out some of my other work, I start up new stories all the time, and haven't abandoned one yet, even the Loud House crossover one, just rethinking that first chapter because a review had a good point and that might really test my creative skills.


	8. Chapter 8 - First Class Friends & Felony

Harry and Tonks sat together in the Great Hall while they waited for the morning food to appear. Student and teacher alike began to filter in, many taking glances at the child celebrity, who was patiently listening to the infamous, to the school at least, metamorph.

"And that is what an auror's job is," Tonks finished telling Harry about the career she hoped to enter.

"That sounds exciting, I'm sure you would do great, you're already amazing," Harry complimented her, making the teen girl blush.

"I'm not that good." Tonks said as she worked to get her features back under control. "You'd probably make a great auror, you're practically a natural." Tonks nudged his shoulder.

"I never really thought about something like that," Harry shrugged. He was watching as people walked into the Great Hall, he waved when he recognized Hannah and Susan walking in. "Susan, Hannah, over here."

Both girls sat on the bench across him, well Susan sat, Hannah more or less slumped into her seat. "Good morning Susan," he greeted the redhead, turning in his seat. "And good morning to you Hannah."

"Good morning Harry," Susan brightly said, looking ready and prepared for the day.

"M-muh-mornin'," Hannah yawned, she on the other hand looked like she fell out of bed and then had to wrestle the floor.

Susan giggled, "Ignore Hannah she's nonfunctional until around 10 anyway."

"S'not true," Hannah said, stifling a yawn, causing the other three to laugh.

Susan taking note of the other person seated within their social circle, "So, Harry, are you going to introduce us?" Susan looked at the older student.

Harry stammered remembering his manners, "Oh right, this is Tonks," he raised his hand, "She has a first name, but she doesn't like it." To which Harry leaned across the table and whispered, "But I think it's really pretty." Tonks heard the compliment which made her hair change colors again. Harry noticed and continued, "Oh, and she can do that, it's really cool."

Tonks coughed, "What The-Boy-Who-Flirts means is, that I am a metamorphmagus, and yes, it is in fact, really cool."

"Susan Bones," the redhead stuck out her hand, "And this bundle of energy," pointing to her friend who was napping on her plate, "Is Hannah Abbott. So, what were you two talking about, before we came over?"

"I was telling Harry here all about the aurors," Tonks proudly said, "Since I want to be one when I graduate." The declaration made Susan laugh. "Oi, you think that's funny or something?"

Susan wiped a stray tear from her eye, "No, it's just that my aunt is Amelia Bones." The new information made Tonks gasp.

"Harry," Tonks said to the boy, "She's the boss man's, well boss lady's niece." She pulled Harry closer to her, "Do you know what this means?"

Harry looked at the three girls seated with him, "Nooo?"

"Well, darn, because I don't either," she laughed as she let him go. "Oh, look the schedules," she pointed out as the prefects were passing out the lists to all the students. "Let's see, DADA, Potions, Charms, Runes, Apparition, Transfiguration."

Harry read over his own schedule, "Seems, kind of light." Tonks looked over his shoulder.

"Well you are a first year, you don't get to have your choice of elective classes yet," Tonks explained. Harry looked a little disappointed that he couldn't choose what classes he wanted, Tonks squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it, look you got herbology first. That's how it always is, first class of each Monday is with your head of house."

Harry smiled, it would be nice to spend some time with Professor Sprout. Harry still coming off his nutrient potions loaded his plate with plenty of eggs and fruit with a side of oatmeal. The other three girls watched in amazement of the amount he ate. "Where does it go?"

* * *

Harry sat with Susan and Hannah in the greenhouse, when the round Professor Sprout walked in, "Greetings my new seedlings. I am your head of house, Professor Pamona Sprout."

The teacher moved to the head of the table, "Now, I know this is herbology, but seeing as we don't know each other, let's all introduce ourselves. Hannah would you like to start?" she gestured to the blonde girl with pigtails.

As the students went down the line in names, Harry learned that Megan Jones was related to Gwenog Jones who was the captain of the Hollyhead Harpies, a professional Quidditch team, whatever that was. But like always he dreaded when his name came up and everyone was incredibly quiet.

"Um, well I'm Harry Potter." He waved meekly, "I don't really know what to say, I'm just Harry." His blasé attitude about himself made some of the students laugh. "Sorry I'm really not that interesting."

Professor Sprout pursed her lips, "Well how about you tell us one of your favorite hobbies then," she offered knowing that Harry would have a difficult time explaining his life.

"Well I like cooking," Harry shrugged.

One of the purebloods scoffed, "Cooking? Like a house elf?"

Harry shrunk a little at the accusation, "Sorry."

Pamona stepped in quickly to prevent an incident, "Everyone has hobbies of their own, no reason to tease them for what they enjoy."

The rest of the class was fairly simple, they didn't actually plant any seeds, it was more discussing what herbology was and why it was important in their world. Considering how many potions, items and other such were made from magical plants, that a good herbologist was always in short supply, much like skilled potion brewers.

Harry's second class that day before lunch was charms with the Gryffindors. The idea of using his wand for casting spells had him a bit dejected as he didn't like the implication. He watched as the other students sat excitedly as Professor Flitwick explained how charms was the basis of all spell casting, demonstrating how simple spells could be used for many complex tasks.

Harry did his best to quietly do his spell once and be done, to minimize how much pain he may be subjecting his friend to. Which was noticed by the people nearest or those who took an interest in him. He noticed that the Gryffindor students eyed him like he was an exhibit in the zoo, so he was particularly grateful when the session ended, and he was able to go to lunch in the hall.

Harry was poking at his food even though he had eaten a large portion already when he was pulled into a hug, "Wotcher firstie, how is your day going," Tonks said as she sat down and began piling her own plate.

The-boy-who-lived shrugged, "It's going all right I guess, people keep staring though."

"Well duh, most of these lot have never met anyone famous or nothing," Hannah chirped. "It's going to be like that for a while, while everyone sort of gets used to you."

Harry groaned at the idea of doing that. "Well we got two more classes today, so I can get through this," he said aloud more to convince himself than anything.

"Yeah potions and then Astronomy," Susan said as she joined them.

"Ugh into the dungeons with the bat," Tonks mumbled.

Harry looked at the older girl, "Bat?"

"I guess that isn't fair to say, since you haven't met him, but the potions master, Professor Snape is a right git," Tonks stated. "He's completely unfair and does whatever he can to make sure the Slytherins win the house cup each and every year."

* * *

The walk to the dungeons wasn't that long, nor was it that far from Hufflepuff common room, so Harry decided to duck back in to drop off his herbology and charms books and grab his ingredient rack, cauldron and other items needed for potions class.

"Harry where did you sneak off to?" Susan whispered when she noticed that the famous boy had returned.

"I just put away my other books and stuff, so I didn't have to carry the extra weight, I'll probably do that before going to lunch next time though," Harry explained. "I'll also have time to grab a shower if we use smelly stuff like manure after herbology." A few students nearby nodded at the idea of not having to lug around the books they don't need and proper hygiene from any potential dung related odors would do absolute wonders for popularity.

When the yellow and blue groups split onto the two sides of the classroom the door swung open and the professor swiftly moved to the front of the class. "There will be none of that silly wand waving in my class, so put them away," Snape instructed. As he picked up a sheet that had the names of the students, he started roll.

After going through a few names, he paused. It didn't take a genius to know which name came next, "Harry Potter, our new celebrity." He sneered, "Let's do a quick test and see if there's room in your head for knowledge or if it is all ego." As the students looked between their teacher and the famous boy.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape said suddenly.

Harry caught off guard by the sudden question paused, he had been reading his potions text but had not come across this particular potion yet, "I don't know sir."

The biting remark was on the tip of his tongue when Severus stopped himself, _"Give him a chance, you already have seen what he's survived."_ He straightened himself out, "Would you attempt to make this potion, not knowing what the result would be?"

Harry quickly shook his head then responded, "No sir, I don't know what the ingredients will do if they are combined. It could be quite deadly, and I wouldn't know what precautions I would need to take to prevent an accident."

Snape locked eyes with his student and waited a moment, before letting out a breath, he dryly said, "In this class if you don't know what something is or does, it is better that you don't touch or use it until you do know." He walked over to the board, and flicked his wand, clearing it of writing. "Some mistakes can be very lethal to not just the maker or consumer, but those around them."

After the introductions were finished Snape put the instructions for one of the simplest potions on the board. "By the end of class, you will have crafted this potion and I will grade your competence."

As the other students grabbed the ingredients and began chopping and boiling, Harry sat for a moment as he carefully wiped out his cauldron, even if it had yet to be used. "Everyone stop," Snape ordered his class, his sudden outburst scaring a few students into squealing.

"Mr. Potter," Snape walked over to the student who was trembling in his seat. "What may I ask are you doing?"

"Cle-cleaning my cauldron, s-sir," Harry meekly stated, trying to become as small as possible.

"And why are you doing that?" Snape glowered down at the boy.

"Be-be-because it might be dirty and um, could um, mess, wi-with the potion," Harry flinched as Snape raised his hand, expecting to be struck.

"Five points to Hufflepuff," Snape turned and addressed the room. "Clearly our celebrity is the only one who either has experience baking or has worked in a potions lab before," Snape knowing Harry's history was well aware which was true. "If you do not properly clean your cauldron you are liable to have residue from past potions contaminate anything you make afterwards."

The professor getting a kick out startling his class, decided to go for three. "Mr. Potter, what would you do next after cleaning your tools?"

"My um workspace," Harry said as he put his cauldron on the table. "There could be contaminants from previous classes left over."

"Correct, most of the dunderheads I teach couldn't keep their hands clean with soap let alone their work area." Snape smirked, then scowled at the rest of his students. "Well, why are none of you writing this down."

The rest of the class watched while they made their own potions, now halfway through brewing, Harry finally pulling out his ingredients. After double checking to ensure he had all the material needed he then reread the recipe in its entirety. Then he worked on his first ingredient.

Snape amazed at the precision the boy had with a knife, as the other students did nothing more than hack away at the ingredients like they were a slab of meat, Harry treated his like a surgical instrument, with quick cuts. Then as the other students watched, Harry didn't just throw his cut ingredients in, he measured them again before he removed a little from his pile, before lifting the plate they were on and pushing them in with his knife, not once using his hands to touch the ingredient.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said softer this time to get the students attention, and again watched silently as the boy put down the knife before addressing his professor. "Why do you not throw the plant in with your grubby hands like the rest of the class, are you too good to touch them?"

Harry nervous at how much attention he has been getting whispered his answer, "No sir, I just."

"Speak up," Snape shouted.

"Sorry," Harry squeaked. "It's just that somethings might irritate the skin if they contacted it."

"Hmm, peculiar," Snape tapped his finger to his chin. "Most students learn that in the second lesson when I make them brew a potion with an ingredient that mildly irritates the skin." He chuckled to himself, Madame Pomfrey hated the second day of classes as she knew she would have most of the first years in asking for something to stop the itching.

"It just made sense," Harry shrugged. "Some of the materials we use are poisonous, so I would think if we aren't using gloves then we should at least minimize exposure."

"Yes, things like gloves, goggles and other protective measure are used, but not in a first-year class," Snape informed his students. "Those potions are taught much later on."

"Will that be all sir?" Harry asked before he picked up his knife and cleaning cloth.

Snape leaned against his desk to watch the students all change behavior, "For now, carry on." He had been seeing which students were making mistakes and who wasn't.

"Everyone stop, again." The students groaned, realizing that Harry was doing something completely obvious and they weren't. "Mr. Potter, are you aware of the concept of cross contamination?"

Harry nodded, "Yes sir, it's why I'm cleaning my knife."

"Why do that, the ingredient's all go in the same cauldron," Snape gave him the question.

"Just because they all go in the pot, doesn't mean the raw ingredients should be mixed," Harry more confidently said as he realized the professor wasn't trying to make an example of him, but was instead using him as an example for the other students, a minor difference, but to the boy who suffered in education it was a big one.

"Again, you are correct," Snape complimented the boy. "Continue."

When the other students had finished their potions, they looked around the room and noticed that they all had different level of opacity to their liquids. They watched as Harry was the last to finish but produced a liquid that was clear, making the sample vial look empty as a result. Snape looked at the result and held it up, "Full marks Potter. Class dismissed."

Some of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students hurriedly packed their bags and left the dungeon, others shuffled out grumbling, but a few remained behind, they had already learned from their mistake by rushing in and Harry seemed to have a good grasp of things, so they waited to see what the famous boy would do. Harry calmly gathered his used ingredients and put away what was salvageable, then began to clean his workspace and tools again before quietly stowing them in his bag securely.

After watching him do so, the remaining students mimicked the boy. As Harry walked to the door, he heard the professor one more time, "Ten points to Hufflepuff Mr. Potter, for not being a dunderhead," then quietly added, "nor a braggart."

"Thank you professor," Harry said to Snape as he left the room.

* * *

Later that night in the Hufflepuff common room an older student walked over to one of the first years, "So I heard you firsties had potions today," she complained, "How many points did we lose this time. Record is fifty."

"We got fifteen," the girl responded.

The older student cheered up, "That's not too bad, we only lost fifteen points in the first day," as some of the older students added their own congratulations to the mix.

"No, we _earned_ , fifteen points," Susan corrected them. Chatter stopped in the common room, "Well really Harry earned them."

"Wait, Professor Snape, the professor Snape, gave points, to someone not in Slytherin?" An older boy said mouth agape.

Tonks flopped into the open spot Susan had been sitting in next to Harry, "How, what's your secret?"

Harry shying away from the attention quietly whispered the word baking.

"What was that," Tonks leaned in dangerously close to his mouth.

Harry flushed, "Baking, potions is like baking," he said louder this time, "The rules translate over well."

"Rules?" A fifth year questioned.

"Cleaning, measuring, safety," Harry wrung his hands, "Stuff like that." Regretting earning the points because now the common room was having a small party in his honor at being one of the rare students to earn points in potions that didn't wear green.

The next few days were fairly quiet for Harry as he went about his classes, he heard that Neville had an accident during flying lessons, which meant Hannah was very upset until she had a chance to see him later that day.

But as Harry learned in his life anything that brings him joy must be taken away from him, and he learned that at lunch on the first Friday at Hogwarts.

"Hey scarhead," sneered a high-pitched posh voice from behind him. Harry recognized it, but Susan's next words confirmed who it was.

"Leave us alone Malfoy," the red-head ordered. Quite a few of the Hufflepuffs were wary about why a first-year Slytherin crossed the Great Hall, in fact most of the students and teachers were watching this closely.

"I don't take orders from blood-traitors," Malfoy snarked, watching as the puffs glared at him. He was a pure-blood, he was worth a hundred of the squibs and blood-traitors in the reject house. "The famous Boy-Who-Lived is a sniveling, squib." The blond boy taunted.

"Walk away cousin," Tonks growled, her hair changing to a vivid red, "Or I'll hex your bits off." She warned with her wand pointing at his trousers.

Crabbe and Goyle stood with their wands out, which led to Susan and Hannah to draw their wands. In seconds the entire table of Hufflepuffs and Slytherins had their wands out. Numerous threats and warnings were being shouted across the hall from most of the student body and now both Snape and Sprout were walking down to attempt to diffuse the situation before the Great Hall became a warzone. Harry the entire time has yet to even look up from his plate; silent tears dripped from his eyes.

Draco noticed that Harry was distraught. "Aww look the little baby's crying," the boy mocked.

"I just, want to be left alone," Harry whispered, his voice cracking as he shuddered in his seat.

"Don't worry I know something that will help dry those tears," Draco said as he quickly raised his wand, but before anyone could say any incantation. A shadowy black hand shot out of the back of Harry's neck and firmly wrapped around Draco's throat.

Students screamed as a being of black sand formed out of Harry's body, lifting the Malfoy child off the ground, Severus and Pamona sprinted the rest of the way, the other teachers hurrying over from the table with their wands drawn. "Harry you need to control yourself, let Malfoy go," Pamona shouted.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, widely regarded as the most powerful wizard since Merlin, drew his wand and began incanting old spells long forgotten. This time the obscurus would not catch him by surprise, and as beams of light in all colors of the spectrum flashed from the tip of his wand and struck the shadowy form, even spells that would devastate buildings and split the sky seemed to be absorbed by monstrosity before him.

The other professors realizing that if the headmaster throwing his impressive magical might into the creature did nothing to loosen its grip on the student decided to go to the source. They surrounded Harry and began shouting and yelling that he needed to control himself, to control this beast. Their pleas growing ever louder as more students began to panic at the events transpiring before them.

Harry covered his ears so that he could only hear the pounding of his blood rushing to his head. He drowned out the sounds of teachers shouting, students around the hall screaming, Draco gurgling and choking in the obscurus' vice like grip. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder.

A calm and soothing voice called out to him, "Harry, please, you need to stop."

Harry looked up and froze. For the face he was looking at was one he had seen in his dreams many times, one he had hallucinated over and over. Her vibrant green eyes, settled into a heart shaped face, with long red-hair ending in curls. Harry's voice cracked, "Mom?" before with a screech the obcurus launched the Malfoy child across the room and disappeared into his body once more.

Tonks felt absolutely horrid for using her ability to shift into the late Mrs. Potter, but when Harry was closing himself off to the world and no one could get through to him, she knew she had to take action. She had been sitting there watching like everyone else, afraid of what was happening in front of her. While she didn't like Draco or any of the Malfoys really, Tonks did not want to watch as a child was strangled to death in front of her.

As Draco struggled to take in breaths, his hand instinctively went to his own throat to protect it in case it was going to be grabbed again, suddenly jerked his hand away. His throat felt like ice and the other students were already murmuring about how nasty it looked. He looked at Potter with fury but before he could do anything Snape rushed over to him and petrified him. "We need to get you to the hospital wing quickly, and I need to ensure you don't make any sudden movements," Snape quietly told him as he levitated the boy off the ground. As the pair left the Great Hall, the students turned back to the crowd of teachers surrounding the famous child.

By the end of the day, a dozen rumors would be flying around about what had happened, the next issue of the Daily Prophet would stir up tremendous controversy.

Harry had been brought straight to the Headmaster's office, along with all the professors. The rest of the days classes had been cancelled.

"Harry my boy," Dumbledore said sternly, making the nervous boy flinch. But before he could continue, Harry was already groveling.

"I'm sorry, I-I-I didn't mean to," tears stinging the boys eyes. "I just, he wouldn't leave me alone, and everything got so loud," he desperately pleaded.

Minerva swept over to him and hugged him tightly wiping her finger across his cheek, "Shh, shh, Harry, no," she softly said, trying to sooth the boy. "We aren't mad, it's just."

Dumbledore sighed, his plans were going crazy and he wasn't sure what to do right now, "You attacked another student and will need to be punished."

Sprout scowled, "We all saw it, Merlin's beard, every student in the Great Hall saw it." She walked over to the chair Harry was sitting in. "That Malfoy kid deliberately provoked him." But before she could continue her rant the headmaster's fireplace burned with green flames and Lucius Malfoy stepped through.

"Ahh, Lucius, I don't remember asking for your presence," Dumbledore said, his eye a twinkle.

"Yes, well when I heard that my son had been put in the hospital wing because someone had attacked him, I got the board of governors to give me access to your office to demand answers," he stated as he took in the room. "Must be serious if all the professors are present."

"You're mistaken," Dumbledore said as he walked over to the fireplace, "Everything is being managed, just a little spat between young mister Malfoy and Harry here. It's not something that involves you are the board."

"Harry?" Lucius said as he looked at the famous child sitting in the chair. "Ah the famous Boy-Who-Lived," he sneered that famous Malfoy sneer, then turned back to the headmaster. "Is he the one who attacked my son?"

"Lucius this is an internal Hogwarts matter, that we are investigating," Dumbledore said dryly, wanting people who were not a part of Hogwarts to stay out of Hogwarts.

The elder Malfoy ignored the white whiskered wizard and turned to Snape, "Severus, what really happened?"

Snape watched as every set of eyes turned to him. "There was an incident between Draco and Mr. Potter," he said as the other teachers glared daggers at him. "It happened in the Great Hall during lunch and was witnessed by damn near the entire school."

"So, this brat thinks his fame will let him attack others," Malfoy growled. "When I get done with Fudge there won't be enough…"

Snape interrupted him, "Draco instigated the fight however, and was told by many people, your niece included," adding the metamorph's name as while Lucius may not like his relatives, they are still his family. "To return to the Slytherin table, when those two bookends of his drew their wands, things escalated." Turning some of the blame onto Crabbe and Goyle, Lucius knowing that neither their fathers nor themselves were smarter than your average treacle tart, relented that those two knuckle draggers were fully capable of botching anything that didn't have complete oversight.

Lucius finding he didn't have a leg to stand on if Severus wouldn't back him on this, decided to tactically retreat, "Well if that is the entirety of the situation, I would like to see to my son's wellbeing before I leave the grounds."

Dumbledore accepting that this was the best the situation would get, opened his door and let Lucius find his way to the infirmary. With the door shut and privacy charms in place, continued the inquiry. "Harry, this can never happen again."

"I'm sorry," was all Harry could say, he didn't have complete control over the obscurus and didn't like the idea of hurting people.

Dumbledore sighed, "I don't like that over half the school is now aware of Harry's… condition."

Having been quiet for some time Flitwick spoke up, "What do we tell the students, none of them should be able to place it as an obscurus as it is so wildly different, but I wouldn't put it passed someone to figure it out, with so many students it's only a matter of time."

Leaning back into his plush chair the headmaster sighed, he had been doing that a lot lately. "If we tell them the truth it will start a panic, there will be inquiries into what had been going on in his life." Looking at the small child seated across him who would not meet his gaze. "He will never have peace again."

Minerva looked at Harry, a boy who wanted nothing more than to be normal and now because of another one of her choices had been put in the center stage to be gawked at, pitied, quite possibly feared. She knew it would not look good for her and could ruin her reputation but dammit hiding it away will do no go, she turned to her colleagues. "I have already informed Amelia of Harry's situation."

A few of the professors gasped. "Yes, I needed to explain things to get some issues in his life cleared up before the aurors investigated him. Because of that she is in the know."

"Fat lot of good that's going to do us," Kettleburn the care of magical creatures professor balked.

Minerva glared at the scarred man, but Pamona added herself to the conversation, "Right now every student has been sent back to their dorms, no doubt the rumor mill is in full swing, and unless we want to see Harry bombarded by every student the moment he steps out of this office. We have to do something."

Dumbledore walked over to one of his many shelves of books and rifled through some pages, before bringing it over to the table, "Here," he said setting it down. "We can use this."

"We're going to blame it on accidental magic?" scoffed Professor Vector. "No one will believe that Harry's accidental magic was guided enough to take solid form and specifically target someone."

The headmaster looked around the room, "Yes, well the benefit is that Harry is special, no one would think it too weird that someone with as many 'accomplishments' as him would play by different rules, he's already survived two things no one else has."

A few of the professors grumbled about the dishonesty of the situation but it would be enough to explain away some of the problems. Minerva didn't like this at all but knew that she could do nothing to dissuade the others unless, "Harry," she calmly called to the boy. "Do you understand what the problem is?"

Harry thought for a second as everyone focused on him, "If we don't lie, everyone, will know everything, I'll never be left alone again or worse," he stated. "I don't know, I shouldn't have come here at all," he sniffled, "should have just left me in the cupboard to die."

"Harry no," McGonagall knelt down to him, "not that. We can fix this, we're the adults. But we need to know how you feel about it."

Wiping his eyes, the distraught boy looked at the headmaster, "I just want this to go away."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "As you wish my boy. Pamona, would you take him back to his dorm. Minerva?" as he noticed that his deputy was also leaving.

"I need to inform Amelia of what happened and what we are trying to do. If this doesn't blindside her, she might be more willing to help Harry with this," she informed him as she left.

"Yes good," Dumbledore agreed as he turned to the other professors. "We will need to get the story straight, especially you Severus, your snakes will be much harder to trick."

* * *

The moment Harry stepped through the Hufflepuff dorm entrance he was immediately surrounded by people. Sprout, a half step behind him, puffed herself up and raised her voice, "All of you SIT down," she ordered. The students running back because it was rare that their normally jovial head of house raised her voice.

Straightening herself up she flicked her eyes over her students. "Now, I am well aware that many of you have questions. I will do my best to answer them, in a manner that does not violate Mr. Potter's privacy. Nor will I take kindly to any student, Hufflepuff or not, harassing him for answers. What I say is what you will get, do I make myself clear?"

The students began nodding, unlike the other houses, Hufflepuff was very familial, working off of trust that the others would look out for you. That when their head of house warned them of something it really mattered.

"Now first, I am very proud that you would all stand up for one another from bullies. However I am disappointed that wands had to be drawn so quickly and I heard just as many threats from you all I did from the Slytherins." She narrowed her eyes, she tried to teach her seedlings that threats and violence is not the first answer, but it was one of them. "As for the incident between Harry and Mr. Malfoy, all the professors have agreed that it was a bout of accidental magic." A few of the older students spoke up about how that was impossible.

"Yes, I know, it sounds strange but the situation was clearly something more than an eleven-year old could handle and Mr. Potter's emotions got the best of him." She patted Harry on the head, who hadn't tried to push his way through the mob of students, so he stood next to the larger woman.

"Now it has been a long day, and you are all free to do as you will until lights out." She said as she nudged Harry forward and she entered her own office. Harry silently walked over to the bedrooms, hoping to just sleep the day away.

Later on that evening, Harry came out of the first-year boys bedroom and sat quietly by himself in the common room, until someone cleared their throat, "Wotcher Harry," Tonks whispered, so as not to startle him. Harry looked over the back of the couch and saw Tonks looking at him, her hair a dark blue. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked the boy.

Tonks casually slid in right next to Harry and for a few minutes they just stared at the crackling fireplace. "Harry, I," Tonks started to say before she was cut off.

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled. "I was right, I shouldn't have come here. I'm too different." He pulled his legs into his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

Tonks giggled, before coughing to try to cover it up, but Harry heard it in the silence of the room. "Harry, you're not different," Tonks whispered as she moved ever so slightly closer to the boy. "You're…" she waved her hand around for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Unique."

"No," he sniffled then looked into Tonks radiant violet eyes. "You're unique, I'm just a freak." Suddenly he yelped as Tonks pulled him into a bone crushing hug.

"Nope, unique," she stated loudly. "I don't know anyone who's as unique as you. Even I've met other metamorphs before."

"I'm just an obscur-," before shutting his mouth. Tonks look down at the boy in her arms.

"A what?" She whispered as she rested her chin on his head. She looked down at Harry's face contorted into a frown. "Harry, I won't judge you. You're my friend," she said, stroking his untamed hair.

"I'm an obscurial," he quietly and quickly said.

Tonks looked down at him in shock. Harry squirmed to get out of her hands, "See I know it, I am a freak, I'm dangerous and and, it hurts and I'm going to die and."

Tonks heartwarming laughter was not what he expected to hear. "Harry, you can't be an obscurial, you'd be dead right now if you were."

"Yeah well, I didn't die when I was supposed to the last time either," he bitterly spat out.

Tonks scooched on the sofa until she was in front of Harry again and pulled him into another hug. "Harry, even if you are, which you aren't, that wouldn't change anything. You're my friend and I like you."

"I like you too Tonks, I'm glad that you're my first friend," Harry sighed in her arms.

"First friend, you're like the sweetest boy ever, and what about those other two birds, Susan and Hannah?" Tonks asked him.

"Yeah what about us, huh Harry?" Susan said from the door way, hands on her hips.

Hannah squealed in delight, "Yeah, are we just not good enough for you." As she rushed over and joined the hug, "Or is it just older girls that get you going."

Harry stammered, "But you never said."

Susan groaned as she too joined the hug, "I didn't think we would have to spell it out for you, we want to be your friend."

"Thanks, that really means a lot." Harry giggled. The four of them broke apart when they heard the common room door open.

* * *

"Now Draco, you understand, this year, just leave the Potter whelp alone, I will take care of him next year, it is too late to orchestrate anything right now, so just observe and gather as much information as possible."

Draco didn't like the idea of not getting revenge as soon as possible, "yes father."

"Good, the best vengeance always takes a little preparation."

* * *

"Master, I know you don't like to be disturbed, but" Quirrell said quietly in his own room while facing a mirror.

"But what servant?" a raspy voice called out from under his clothed head.

"Something truly extraordinary happened today." The defense professor laughed.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** So I wanted this chapter to come out TWO months ago, but nothing was clicking. This chapter was rewritten in it's entirety once before because it was horrid.

So I wanted to get up to Halloween with this chapter, obviously this didn't happen. But I was thinking that the Obscurus, that so many of you like, making an appearance in the Great Hall would make an excellent chance to try and explain some more of the background information. Like why Lucius just decided to give Riddle's diary to Ginny, in canon we get introduced to him and then later when the Horcruxes are expained, it doesn't make sense as to why Lucius would choose that dark artifact unless he knew what it did or thought he knew what it did, which raises so many questions. God the whole thing is really stupid if you think about all the variables.

If Lucius knew it was a horcrux why wasn't he trying to ressurect Voldemort earlier, he could have kidnapped someone years ago and just imperioused them to keep writing in the thing. Hell if an Eleven-year old girl was strong enough to revive him it would have been done earlier.

If he didn't why would he just be like, this object entrusted to me by the dark lord is the perfect tool to exact revenge on well someone, because how would he know what it would do if he didn't understand it was a horcrux or at least a part of the dark lord.

Ugh makes my head hurt trying to understand how that makes sense.

I know that right now it might seem like I'm pushing Tonks alot, but well she's so easy to write. I'm not trying to make it super romantic but they are forming a relationship right now, but nothing will come of it for a while. So she's more like an older sister at the moment.

Sorry Harry's talent on a broom was not noticed as he didn't have a chance to catch the rememberall. He might still try out for the Quidditch team but that won't be at least until second year anyway, no professor to break the rules this time for him.

Review Review

Millie072 thank you for the support. To address the points that you brought up, Neville won't get a resort because deep down he's a very brave young man and that's why the hat was so loud, to scare him into action, because bravery is not acting because you are unafraid, it's acting in spite of being afraid. Neville was afraid that he would fail but still went up to the hat all the same.

As for Dumbledore a lot of this has been thrown on his plate and is severely messing up his plans. So he will have to tweak them for the year.

As for the age gap, yeah Tonks and Harry do have one, it's really not that big if they were adults, which techinically she's 17, of age and Harry is a Lord, also of age so legally nothing wrong with it. But right now it's nothing more than fluff. She'll have some issues later on though about it.

Wolfgang108 Team Rocket are some of the coolest motherfuckers in the series.

AWhiteLight, glad you liked it, I felt this chapter didn't measure up to what I was able to accomplish in the last one. But I figure I have a few other characters to give those great moments too, so it will take time to get them at that point.

A few thoughts for later chapters.

If you thought bullying in American schools is bad, think about one that is practically stuck in the 1500's.

I mean it, that troll is coming, I swear.


	9. Chapter 9 - Figurative and Literal Troll

It was the early morning of the first weekend of the new school year at Hogwarts and a nervous Harry stood in the common room. As was usual with him he rose early, being a weekend normally that meant he would be doing more chores and would need to do them quietly because his relatives would be sleeping in until almost noon. But here in the castle, he wasn't sure what he was required to do.

Stepping out into the hallways that lead to more parts of the castle, Harry made his way through the corridors, dimly lit by the slowly rising sun. He followed the normal path that every other student made during the week to go to the Great Hall for breakfast. Entering the large and empty room, Harry's footsteps echoed as he walked the length of the table and sat where he had for the previous days.

He thought to himself how strange it was that in an entirely empty room he still chose to seat himself in the same spot, when he could sit anywhere, possibly even at another table being that no one would be there to tell him otherwise.

Looking at the empty table he wondered if it were possible to get food early, as if recognizing his needs, he heard a soft pop near him. Turning his gaze to the side he saw the familiar elf, "Oh good morning Flipsy, how are you?"

"Oh Harry, Flipsy bes doing just wonderful, so much work for us elves to be doing with all the little kiddies running around," the delighful elf answered.

Harry smiled, he like that his friend was happy, "Is it too early to get breakfast?" he inquired.

Flipsy shook her head, "Nos, it bes okay to have breakfast now, what would you be liking Harry?"

Harry put him finger to his chin, he really wanted pancakes again, but he saw how fat his cousin had gotten over the years eating nothing but sweets, "Maybe some fruit and porridge."

"I be's getting that for you's Harry," Flipsy said as she snapped her fingers and disappeared again, leaving the young child to sit alone in the room.

A soft patter and the sound of rustling fabric drew Harry's attention to the side of the room behind him, the Slytherin table. Looking he noticed the potions professor Snape quietly striding to the head table. Or rather attempting to be quiet, seeing as the normally loud room was so quiet in the morning. "Oh, uh, g-good morning Professor Snape," Harry called out, attempting to be polite.

Snape stumbled in his walking as he had not been paying attention to his surroundings this morning. He had been up far too late weaving intricate lies to his snakes about the happenstance of the previous day, that he did not expect anyone let alone a student to be awake at this hour. "Potter, what are you doing out of bed at this hour," the professor grumbled.

"I just always wake up this early," Harry said. "Um, sir," he added quickly. Snape just shook his head and grumbled as he went to his seat at the staff table.

A moment later a bowl of oatmeal and a plate with some citrus fruit would placed in front of Harry. "Um Flipsy," Harry whispered.

"Yes Harry," Flipsy popped back into the room. "Is something being wrong with the food?" she said with worry in her tone, that Harry disliked the meal he was given.

"No, no, no, it's not that, the food is excellent," to demonstrate Harry took a quick spoonful from the bowl. It really was delicious. "But I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sitting with me for a bit, I know that you said house elves don't eat with people, but maybe you could sit and tell me about what it's like in the castle, please?" he asked with a hopeful look on his face.

Flipsy being ironwilled and the most stoic of the elves in the castle, did her best to not look at Harry's expectant face, but a quick glance saw how much he really wanted to hear from her, so she relented and took a seat next to him and began regaling him stories from her time working in the castle.

Harry ate and laughed as he listened to the fun misadventures that the elves had gotten themselves up to, such as the time Mumbly had waxed the floor outside the defense classroom, only to have Twooly come by not even a half hour later and also wax the floor there.

Unknowingly the boy and elf were being watched by the only other occupant of the room. "He really is so much like her," Snape whispered under his breath as thoughts of watching the enchanting red headed girl of his youth spend time just talking with the castle elves, solely because she enjoyed the company of anyone, human, centaur, elf, merfolk. It never mattered to Lily, she loved magic, in a way that he never saw in pure-bloods or even half-bloods like himself.

He was secretly jealous of mudbloods for that, to live in a world completely unaware of magic and then to one day experience the joy of seeing it was all real. When even he grew up around potions and spells, before his parents were always fighting, it seemed to detach the wonder of it all. But to see her son act the same way with the face of the man he loathed, it confused him. Harry seemed a bright child, if not intellectually smart, he had clearly learned other, sometimes more important lessons. How to survive, how to hide everything, skills he too learned growing up.

Severus seeing what looked like his past coming back to haunt him caused the snide man to reconsider his life. His anger had made him fall into allegiance with the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, and that got him nothing but pain. Hiding among Dumbledore's flock has only made him bitter towards other. Snape considered that maybe there had been another side in this whole situation, one that he had a hand in creating.

The sound of chatter and footsteps carried from the halls into the Great Hall where Harry turned to see who was coming in, which Flipsy used as a getaway, to not be seen by the other occupants of the castle.

Most students were barely awake and simply went to their house table, some were carrying in books and other writing materials that they would be using to complete homework and assignments that they had ignored. Harry was drawn from his people watching by a familiar weight nudging against him.

"Morning Harry," Tonks yawned as she sat down in the seat next to him and slammed large books on the table, along with other students throughout the hall, most of them wearing blue with a few spatterings of yellow and green.

"Good morning Tonks," Harry said as he took a bite from his bowl of fruit. He watched as she begrudgingly opened one of the large tomes and began to copy information from the book to parchment. Harry fascinated sat quietly so as not to disturb her work. When the fluttering of feathers drew his eyes skyward.

"Hmm, morning post is a little early," Tonks grumbled as she scratched out some words, they disappeared a second later and she wrote over the empty space. With her free hand she reached up and a large speckled black owl dropped a roll of paper into her hand. She dabbed her quill into the inkwell before unfurling the paper. "Oh no," she gasped and quickly looked to the boy sitting quietly next to her. "Harry take a look at this," Tonks said, turning to show him the front page.

"Daily Prophet, Harry Potter, Scarred Hero or Future Dark Lord? by Rita Skeeter," Harry said quietly as he quickly scanned the paper. "But I only learned about being a wizard a few months ago," Harry exclaimed as he looked to Tonks for help.

The article went into great detail about his past accomplishment of stopping He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, following that with providing vague accountings of others. A tactic that makes the second half that is harder to prove seem more truthful because the first part was correct. How Harry's sudden appearance after so long in hiding and displaying strange magical powers. Harry not knowing many influential figures did not recognize that one of the persons interviewed was Lucius Malfoy who gave an overly dramatized version of the injury his son sustained.

"Seems like they'd rather stir up some subscriptions with things being so quiet," Tonks grumbled as she quickly read through the rest of the articles so that should discard the offending paper. A quick glance to the side and she noticed that Harry was just pushing around the remaining fruit in his bowl. "Ignore them Harry," Tonks told him.

"But everyone's going to read that and think I'm a monster," Harry protested.

Tonks shrugged. "So, people you never met and likely never will already have their own thoughts and opinions about you. Just accept that and be you, then the real people will stick around to learn about you," she advised.

"That sounds like you're speaking from experience," Harry commented.

Tonks nodded as she recalled all the nasty rumors about her family and even about her. Being able to become whatever she wanted, she tried to be what other people wanted. Others naturally wanted more from her than she was willing to give, which ended up angering those who disliked the real Tonks. "Yeah, I am," she responded.

"How long until that starts to work," Harry asked, hoping for a timeline of when he could expect people to stop judging him.

"I'll let you know," Tonks sighed. Despite being so outgoing and friendly, she had very few friends. The ability to fix any perceived imperfection made other girls jealous and the lustful gaze of boys who wanted her to be the perfect woman all the time, soured her to most of the older students. One would think the younger ones would be fine, but they saw her as more of a novelty than anything else until they got bored with her.

"Oh," was all Harry could say to that and went back to eating his breakfast.

* * *

The next few weeks of classes, were in Harry's opinion simple, quite a bit of it was spent on theory. Which Harry guessed was because most students, at least half of them were muggleborn, so they had to be taught how magic worked before they tried it. So, Harry was spending most of his classes reading books.

The wandless classes, such as Herbology, Flying and Potions were different. Professor Snape had not been joking when he said the next class would use ingredients that irritated the skin. And this resulted in quite a number of point deductions because as he said, the Celebrity had already demonstrated what to do; and those who chose not to follow those simple instructions only had themselves to blame.

For the most part the amount of staring had decreased as people got used to seeing Harry around in classes or the halls. But the whispering became bolder and Harry would hear smatterings of conversations here and there. Harry was starting to feel comfortable around other people, until he noticed a shift.

The day was October 31st, Halloween. As always Harry had gotten up earlier than anyone else, showered and dressed himself. The first change was when he was pulled into a hug by Tonks. She was always affectionate when no one else was looking, but Susan and Hannah also giving him a hug and whispering kind words, confused him greatly. Over the course of the day other students would thank him and pay respects to his parents. When he remembered what McGonagall had told him, that Voldemort was stopped on Halloween.

Nothing was unusual except that in Flitwick's charms class, he had a bit of difficulty with the Latin of the levitation charm and Hermione corrected him. Doing so he was able to complete the incantation correctly and levitated the feather up to the ceiling.

Class was let out and Harry was walking with the other students to the great hall for lunch. He silently walked next to Neville while Hannah and Susan chatted with Hermione, until a brash voice was heard.

"Can you believe that bird, trying to correct Harry, he's so great, he doesn't need the help," Ron said loudly as he shoved Seamus. "It's Levi-O-sah, not Levio-SAH," the redhead mocked Hermione's assistance.

Harry was prepared to say something when a body shoved between him and Neville. Hermione was sniffling as tears rolled down her cheeks and she quickly ran into the castle.

"Uh oh, I think she heard you Ron," Dean said as he poked Ron's shoulder.

"You're such a twit Weasley," Susan shouted as she and Hannah chased after their friend.

"What did I say?" Ron shrugged.

Harry huffed in annoyance and shouted, "You shouldn't say mean things about people."

Ron put up his hands in defense, recalling the last time Harry had an outburst, "It was all a joke, I didn't mean nothing by it, honest."

"Oi, our ickle Ronnie-kins tellin' jokes," Fred or maybe it was George asked.

Ron paled as he felt two of his older brothers wrap their arms around him.

George, or quite possibly Fred answered the rhetorical question. "Can't be, he hasn't a funny bone in his body. We could give him one though," the redheaded teen suggested, which one it was no one knew.

"Right-O Gred," Forge responded as they picked up their brother and started to carry him into the castle.

"Onward Forge," Gred shouted as they disappeared from sight around a corner.

"Strange," Harry said as he took a step to follow them, only a firm hand prevented him from continuing.

Neville quickly shook his head. "Don't get involved Harry, the twins will chew you up and spit you out, maybe literally." The pudgy boy noticed a look of confusion on Harry's face. "They're magical pranksters, ask a teacher about some of the shenanigans they pulled on other people and themselves."

* * *

Dinner was different, on normal days the food appeared without much fanfare, unless an announcement had to be made. But today there was a toast, in remembrance of those fallen and those who sacrificed to stop the nightmare many of them barely remembered. Harry was nervous about all the attention he was getting from people but was happy that his parents would never be forgotten.

Susan was trying to keep a straight face, but Harry noticed some glances to the closed doors of the great hall. He leaned forward and whispered, "What's wrong Susan?"

"Hermione still hasn't come back," Susan grumbled. "She wanted to be left alone."

Harry blinked in confusion. "Where is she then?"

"The third-floor girls' lavatory," Susan answered. "She's been crying since that dunderhead Ronald made fun of her."

Harry's next thought was cut off when the doors flung open and Professor Quirrell ran in screaming about a troll in the dungeons, before falling to the floor. The students began to scream in a panic and shove each other out of the way as they rushed to the door.

Albus Dumbledore's magically enhanced voice easily carried over the crowd of students. "SIIII-lence, thank you," he calmly finished. "Prefects if you would kindly and orderly escort your housemates to their common rooms, teachers," Dumbledore nodded to his staff. "Let us go and find this troll."

Harry and pulled Susan and Hannah back. "Hermione, you said she was in the bathroom?" he questioned.

Susan nodded. "Ye-yeah, oh bollocks," she swore, Hannah gasping at the language. "She doesn't know, but she's on the third-floor and the troll was in the dungeon so if we go quickly, she'll be on her way upstairs before anyone notices," Susan planned.

Harry quickly slipped away from the crowd of students and took an alternate set of stairs that would lead them towards the bathroom. Hannah shivered nervously as they walked down the dark corridor. "This is dangerous why didn't we tell a prefect, or get T-Tonks," she complained.

"It's just a quick walk down the hall and tell her to go back to the Gryffindor common room, it's perfectly," Susan said as she turned a corner gasped and jumped back, keeping Harry and Hannah from stepping forward. "It's supposed to be in the basement," she snarled.

"What is?" Harry asked as he peaked around the corner and saw the bathroom door close.

"The troll," Susan hissed. "It's up here, somehow, why is it here?" she glared.

Hannah shrugged. "Maybe it's a girl troll and has to go?"

A blood-curdling shriek was heard from the room followed by a roar. Harry realized that the troll had found Hermione and rushed down the hallway and slammed his shoulder into the door.

Hermione noticed the latest entrant into the room and screamed as loud as she could when the troll slammed its club into the sink above her, shattering it. "Please, help me," she cried out.

Harry stared dumbfounded at the twelve-foot-tall, grey monster. It somehow looked like a bigger, dumber version of his cousin, "Bwuh," he mouthed before he waved his wand at the creature and levitated a rock at the creature, momentarily distracting it from braining Hermione with its club.

Susan and Hannah burst in a second later and saw a screaming and crying Hermione, hiding under a sink in the corner, the mountain troll blinking dumbly at Harry who himself was standing stock still.

Hannah shook her friend. "Quick use that spell your aunt taught you," she screamed.

"Alright, calm down," Susan ordered as she drew her wand. "Stupify," she shouted as the bright red stunner shot from her wand and impacted the troll dead center on the forehead. It rubbed the spot that was struck before snarling and charged the two girls who screamed and ran out of the way.

"Stupify," Susan shouted again and landed another shot on the large body, but to ill effect. "Stupify, Stupify, Stupify," she began firing the spell rapidly, draining herself of energy quickly. "It's not working," she shouted.

Harry starred up at the large creature and could only see his bully of a cousin, felt small and weak again as the creature towered over him, "Come on," he muttered to himself. "I need you," he tried to pull the Obscurus out of his body, it was more than powerful enough to defeat this monster. "Please, my friends are going to die," he begged but received no response.

The troll's club slammed into a stall and exploded the area into a shower of splinters, the wood flying everywhere, Susan and Hannah had been backed into a corner by the creature next to Hermione.

Mentally Harry was berating himself, he didn't know any spell strong enough to fight a troll and he couldn't get his one useful power to work. _"Or do I,"_ he thought, his mind rapidly pulling up a memory almost forgotten.

" _No please, take me instead," Lily begged._

" _Foolish girl," Voldemort sneered as he pointed his wand at the woman._

Harry raised his wand and glared. "AVADA KEDAVRA," he screamed as a sickly green bolt of energy shot out of his wand and struck the troll in the spine, it froze in its advance and dropped to the floor in a mass of flesh, dead as could be, its soul forcibly ripped from its body.

Harry huffed as he felt himself drained of energy before a mass of footsteps was heard approaching quickly, the door which had been broken from its hinges did nothing to hinder the professors who burst into the bathroom, wands glowing and prepared to fight. McGonagall looked around the warzone that was a bathroom and saw three girls huddled in a corner, a dead troll and Harry Potter who stared at her for a moment before collapsing.

"What happened here," she demanded an answer as Poppy quickly moved to Harry's side.

Susan, Hannah and Hermione all began talking at once, their stories and excuses overlapping each other into a cacophony of unintelligible noise.

Minerva shot her hand up. "One at a time," she stopped them. "Hermione let's start with you," she asked her cub.

"I was in the bathroom, and then this thing," she said as she pointed to the corpse on the floor. "It came in and tried to kill me," she said.

"Why were you here and not going to the common room with the others?" Minerva asked.

"I didn't know, I was in here all afternoon crying," she mumbled the last part, but McGonagall had exceptional hearing.

"Why would you be in here all afternoon crying?"

Hermione sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "I got b-bullied and,"

"That prat Weasley made fun of her and," Susan started to defend her friend before the Deputy Headmistress stopped her tirade.

"And what were you, Ms. Abbot and Mr. Potter doing here," Minerva quirked an eyebrow.

Susan cleared her throat, having faced a similar glare from her aunt, she wasn't cowed by McGonagall's glare, as much. "We knew that Hermione wasn't in the hall when we were told to go back to the common rooms, so we figured since she was here on the third floor that we'd get her real quick so no one got in trouble, since the troll was supposed to be in the dungeons," she added annoyance to her tone.

"And you didn't think to get a prefect or teacher?"

"Well it's bloody good tha' we didnae, that bugger was already 'ere by tha' time that me, 'annah an 'arry got 'ere. Lucky that we did," Susan ranted back in anger, not enjoying having her decision being questioned. "An is' right good we did, this girl'd be dead if not for us."

Snape who had finished inspecting the corpse to confirm it was infact dead skulked over. "And how exactly," he said with a tone. "Did three first years manage to kill a fully-grown mountain troll?" he questioned.

Susan paused for a moment, unsure of how to answer, doing so made her collect herself and lose her native accent. "Well you see um, professor, we didn't," she pointed across to Harry. "He did."

Quirking an eyebrow Snape looked at Harry. "Accidental magic," he suggested, implying the Obscurus did in the beast.

Hannah quickly responded. "No the Obscurus didn't come out," before gasping and covering her mouth. "Sorry," she whimpered in shame.

"How do you know about that?" Minerva questioned.

"Harry told us," Susan said. "And Hannah's right, The Obscurus didn't kill it, Harry used," she again paused. "He used um."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Well, out with-it silly girl," he snarled.

"He used the killing curse," Susan whispered.

Minerva gasped and looked at the unconscious young boy. Snape glared. "Preposterous, no first-year child has that kind of power, control and let alone the desire to kill to perform that dark magic," he quickly strode over and performed a spell to reveal the last spell cast. He quickly dropped the wand as if it had burned him and strode out of the room.

Minerva didn't need to perform the same spell to know that what she was told was indeed true, "Please, all of you follow me to the medical wing, we'll check you for injuries," she ushered the children along.

* * *

Harry woke up as the morning light struck him. Groaning he slowly rose up in the bed he had been placed in. "Where am I, the troll, HERMIONE, SUSAN, HANNAH," he frantically shouted as he struggled to get out of bed.

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Poppy called out to him. "They're fine, it's okay, nobody got hurt," she calmed him as she bustled over to his bed.

Pomona Sprout rose from her seat as she was accompanied by the rest of the staff this morning. "Harry Potter, Troll Slayer," she mused. "Now I'm taking 10 points from Hufflepuff for going and doing something incredibly foolish, like a Gryffindor," she smirked as she glanced at McGonagall who rolled her eyes. "But," she added on. "I am awarding 50 points for showing loyalty and teamwork," she smiled.

Harry adjusted himself in the bed as he noticed the teachers gave him strange looks. "So what happened," he questioned.

Albus Dumbledore approached the bed and Harry tensed up, his last experience with the old man had not been pleasant. "Young Harry," Dumbledore said fatherly. "I need to know, who taught you that spell," he asked firmly.

"I don't…" Harry waited as he thought about the events of the previous night. "No one, I just remembered, that Volde-, You-Know-Who," he corrected himself when he saw the teachers begin to cringe. "He used that on my mother, and it seemed like it was powerful and the Obscurus wasn't coming out. And I didn't want Susan or Hannah or Hermione to get hurt or die. And I just acted, and I didn't mean to kill it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill it, please," tears rolled down his cheeks as he pleaded for mercy about taking a life.

The amassed teachers felt sick, this child who had to kill to protect his friends was seeking forgiveness from a group of people who themselves had killed in the previous war. Surprisingly it was Snape who made the first move. "Harry," he called out. "There are times when killing is unavoidable," he said as he tried to explain life and death to a child. "Just, make sure that if you do kill it's to protect others and not for selfish reasons," he finished quickly and vacated the room. Seeing Lily's eyes full of tears was tugging at his heartstrings in ways he did not like.

"So strange," Flitwick muttered.

Minerva quickly shook herself out of the stupor of watching Severus try to comfort a child. "Harry, you protected your friends last night, while what you did was incredibly dark magic, you did it for a good reason, but," she continued. "You must NEVER use that spell again, especially not on a person," she firmly said as Harry rapidly nodded.

"I don't want to kill," he whimpered and sobbed in silence.

Minerva started shoving the teachers back, "Shoo, the lot of you, he's not going to get better being watched like two erumpents in heat. So go tend to your students and Albus, go, do headmaster things," she ordered.

"He's my student," Pomona protested.

"Yes yes, all well and good," Minerva responded. "I'll bring him back to the common room soon as he's presentable." Once the other professors had been removed from the room Minerva called out to her house elf.

"Yes, Misses Kitty," Flipsy snickered at the jokey name, but gasped as she saw how distraught Harry was. "Oh nos, Harry," the house elf scampered over to the child's side. "Is you being okay," she asked with concern.

Harry slowly nodded.

"I be doubting that," Flipsy pouted. "I bes thinking you need a hug," she said as she tightly wrapped her arms around the boy who returned the contact.

Minerva cleared her throat after a minute. "Flipsy would you please collect Harry a change of clothes from his trunk and his morning belongings, so he can make himself presentable to the rest of the students," she asked.

Flipsy nodded and disappeared silently to carry out the orders she had been given.

"Harry. I want you to come see me tonight. I want to know how you are handling this. Taking a life, even one of a monster like that troll, is changing for a person," Minerva pontificated. "I want to make sure you come out the other side of this well."

Harry slowly nodded in response; he didn't feel much like talking at the moment. When Flipsy returned with his belonging's he used the hospital wing's bathroom to change and shower. He stepped back into the infirmary where the nurse was waiting for him.

"Just want to make one last diagnostic check before I release you," the kindly witch said. "You've been excused from classes today, so take the time you need to recover," she instructed him as she waved her wand around. "If you start to feel faint, please come see me, my door is open."

Harry left the hospital wing and Minerva took him back to the Hufflepuff common room, the moment he stepped through the door the conversations had stopped, mostly Seventh years who were studying were in the area, even if there weren't a lot.

Harry was swept off his feet when Tonks barreled into him and pulled him into a rib crushing hug. "Oh Harry, you damn daft, brave, stupid, brilliant, idiot boy," She shook him back and forth. "Why the buggering hell didn't you get me to help. You shouldn't have faced a troll all by yourself," she cooed as she stroked his hair.

"Ahem, we were there too Tonks," Susan scoffed as she and Hannah extricated Harry from the emotional teens grip. He wobbled as he felt his circulation flowing properly again.

"Thanks Harry," Susan said as she gave him a smaller, more tender hug.

Hannah squealed, "It was just like one of your books." Her hug felt more like Tonks'. "Oh, we have to find Hermione, she'll want to thank you as well."

Tonks stood in their way, "Oi you little blighters, you ain't going nowhere, without me escorting you now, too much shenanigans and in only two months," she glared down at the firsties with her fists on her hips.

Harry nodded and grabbed Tonks' hand and pulled her out of the common room. The sudden connection making the teen blush and her hair turn pink. "H-Harry," she protested as she heard the other students snicker.

Minerva walked across the room and closed Tonks' books for her and moved them out of the way so it didn't take up much of the space on the table. Noticing the reading she had been doing, "Constant Vigilance," by Alastor "Mad-eye" Moody. McGonagall hummed to herself as she thought about an earlier conversation she had this year.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Not much to say here. I fell into a slump and then found it easier to write works in other fandoms, while this one kept getting pushed back as I couldn't figure out how I wanted to write the scene.


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